Rogue Knight
by Illuviar
Summary: A man with the memories and skills of a Sith Warrior from a conflict that ended four millenia ago finds himself thrown in the opening weeks of the Clone Wars. He has a mission - deal with the current Sith Lord and his supporters permanently and prepare the galaxy for the eventual arrival of the Vong. This is a SI story.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This was betaed by Chunq and bigreader on the Space Battles forums, ****and Dymian on FF net****! Thank you for the splendid work!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**Prologue: A Shadow From The Past**

**=RK=**

"God damn it!" I shouted as loud as I could, before becoming aware that I was no longer in the seat of my disintegrating Dragon. In a futile attempt to save a pair of ZAFT pilots whose Mobile Suits were wrecked, I got caught on the edge of the CYCLOPS system, just as it detonated under the EA headquarters in Alaska. The display screens in my X311 cockpit shattered one after another, showering me with pieces of their monitors. All I knew was a wave of unbelievable agony. The last thing I remember was the incredible heat that caused my blood to boil.

Then I was here. Again. The Earth was just as breathtaking as the first time I saw it from this position, all those months ago.

Ever since I ended in the GS universe, I flirted with death on countless battlefields, yet feeling it actually claim me was... Disconcerting. "I fucked up and should be dead," I said in a hollow voice.

"You should be. However, I made a deal," a melodic voice sounded from behind me. It was the ROB that had plucked me from my home dimension.

I did not bother turning around. She liked her mysterious act and stayed invisible.

"Which means that I need to deal with another mess," I stated.

"Correct. Then, if you do not get yourself killed, I'll be able to return you here shortly before JOSH-A was destroyed. I'll be nice and won't tell your girlfriend about that stunt you pulled."

I winced. Ever since I was sent here, I had to deal with a mountain of troubles, which became much harder when my "favorite" ROB decided to become a chat buddy with my girlfriend. They had a lot of fun at my expense...

"Ahh. Don't pout. After all, she's the main reason I went to all that trouble of giving you a second chance."

"Who needs to die this time?"

"One Republic Chancellor, a few of his cronies in the Senate, and the Separatist leadership. You have a war to end. Oh, yeah, you must also prepare the galaxy to face the Vong. Have fun!"

The curses that left my mouth are not fit for print.

**=RK=**

I awoke, slumped over the controls of a fighter. That's an upgrade from the shuttle ride from which my last adventure started.

This time, my mind was clear. There was no sign of the numbness that plagued me for a week after my previous trans-dimensional travel. Those were the high points of my situation.

On the other hand, I was in a cramped cockpit of a fighter I knew did not possess an FTL drive, and I had no idea where I was. My arms, which were clad in unexpectedly light and comfortable armored gloves, ran over the controls as I checked the status of my fighter. It was a modified Sith Interceptor, with a shield generator installed, as well as laser cannons with enhanced capacitors allowing a sustained rapid fire. Lastly, there were two racks of light proton torpedoes under the wings for attacks against hardened targets. As far as fighters go, my interceptor was a sweet killing machine. However, that did not help me with my current predicament. I was Force knew where, without a hyperdrive. I hoped that ROB did not mess up, and left me here only to slowly suffocate.

I checked the starfighters sensors. I could detect some gravitational disturbances at the edges of the scanner's range. So, there was probably at least one planet in the system. I hoped that it was inhabited.

My hands ran over the controls, the Sith Interceptor's engines roared to life and the nimble, little spacecraft headed deeper into the system. I gave the autopilot a general course plot, and started checking what resources I had at my disposal.

I was wearing a black robe, covering durasteel armor. My head was protected by a mandalorian styled helmet, with an integrated computer projecting a small HUD display on which the status of my armor, oxygen supply, and shields were shown. It was good to know that I had some additional protection aside from the laminated sheets of durasteel, but decided that testing its resilience would be left for emergencies. After all, the best defense was not getting hit.

My armor had some neat features. Like a dart launcher on the left arm guard, with knock out, poison and ion enhanced munitions. I guessed that the last was for taking out droids. I was armed with a pair of heavy blaster pistols, and had four power cells for each. For tougher situations, I had a pair of thermal detonators, four frag grenades and two ion pulse grenades. For a moment, I thought that I was inhabiting the body of a bounty hunter, which wouldn't be too bad if two of my targets were not Sidious and his apprentice. I did not relish the thought of facing those bastards as anything less than a powerful Force adept.

The moment I thought about the local "magic" users, I felt a shiver. It was like a veil that had been covering every one of my senses was suddenly lifted. I truly saw, heard, and felt for the first time in my life. My senses went into an overdrive and I was lost. I saw even the tiniest imperfection on the control panel of my craft, I could hear every little sound and sense each vibration made by the interceptor. My armor felt like shards of broken glass. Even the tiniest twitch caused me to feel stabbing pain as my clothes rubbed on my oversensitive skin.

Then it became much worse. A tsunami of memories not my own hit my mind in an unyielding wave. My world exploded as a whole life flashed before my eyes. From the first memories as a small child on Dromund Kaas, to a titanic battle over Korriban where everything ended in a flash of light. The Sith Lord that commanded the Imperial Fleet activated a super weapon of some sort. All I felt before death was a desperate warning through the Force, then nothing.

Korriban. Where everything began. The place where I arose from one of the countless wretched slaves under the imperial yoke, to a Sith Warrior. The surface of that planet was where I chose to disregard most of the creed of the Empire, and to try to change it from within. The place where my ambition died with tens of thousands of Sith and Republic sailors.

I snapped back to the present. My right hand fell to a cylinder, hidden in my robes, and I felt relieved the moment my fingers closed around it. Holding the hilt of my lightsaber, a weapon that was literally part of myself as far as the Force was concerned. I used it as an anchor to stabilize my mind. The torrent of memories almost shattered my very being, nearly washing away who I was. This was not like the last time when I got only skills and fragments of someone else's past. This time it felt like I "lived" through the life of Darth Vael.

I stared at the stars through the canopy of the cockpit. It made at twisted kind of sense. If this was happening to anyone else, I would have thought that this stunt of ROB's was pure genius. After all, who could be better at disposing of a Sith Lord and his Empire in the making than another of his own kind?

I knew that my eyes, hidden under the helmet as they were, had a distinct yellow tinge around the irises.

Now that I could sense the Force, I could feel both sides. The Light was muted, as if there was a veil made of living shadows thrown over it. The Dark, however... Well let's just say that I had never felt it stronger or more seductive than it was now. Not even on my one and only audience with the Emperor in his inner sanctum on Dromund Kaas.

Fear gripped my heart with fingers colder than the void between the stars. I had knowledge and skills from an old forgotten age. Even if, by some miracle, I prevailed over Palpatine and his army of cutthroats, there was no guarantee that I would not replace him and become something much worse. For all its atrocities, Sidious and his Empire paled in comparison with the deaths and suffering caused by the Sith of old... Now, there was a different kind of monster unleashed upon the unsuspecting galaxy.

**Phase 01: Use the Force, Luke!**

**=RK=**

**Part 1**

**Location: Still Unknown;**

The Sith Interceptor cruised through the unknown star system. I huddled in the pilot seat. My imagination, fueled by memories from a war between the Republic and The Sith Empire, ran rampant with all the horrors I could cause if I lost it. I was a Force damned Sith!

The Force itself didn't help me. The Dark Side was strong, alluring. It was whispering to me, like the devious seductress it was. If this was what Vael had to deal with every damned day, it was a miracle that he hadn't become a cackling maniac a long time ago!

My personal pity party was ended when I felt a sudden chill. Somewhere, nearby, thousands of sentient beings were dying. I felt someone's malicious joy and in the same time I was sick to the pit of my stomach. Sensing the death of those unknown people made me feel dirty in a way I knew that no amount of bathing or decontamination could clean up. I shivered as the person who I am and the memories of the Sith and the influence of the Dark side warred with each other. Because now there was a part of me that considered their dying cries as the finest beverage in the galaxy and craved more.

Without any conscious thinking on my part or even touching the controls, I shut down the interceptor's auto pilot and the small ship changed its flight path. It was guided by my will exercised through the Force. I barely felt the acceleration when the twin engines roared to life and jumped from cruise mode to eighty percent of max acceleration. The place where I felt people dying was calling to me like a siren's song.

**=RK=**

The clock shown on my HUD counted that forty-three minutes had passed from when I sensed the deaths. In that time, I reached the place from where the feeling emanated. It was obvious what had happened – war. I had a front seat view of a debris field made by the shattered remains of three cruisers. Republic ones if the broken shape of the one star ship which was somewhat intact was anything to go by.

Three destroyed cruisers in a system with a red star. Why was this image ringing a bell?!

Perhaps because the mangled ships resembled Star Destroyers...

I started scanning for survivors with both the Force and the fighter's sensors. A display on my control panel lit up with few clusters of life signs, one of which winked out moments later. I felt cold pangs as the clones died. Or who I presumed to be clone troopers.

Briefly, all my attention focused on the whispers of the Force. That cluster of survivors, the one on the far left.

The interceptor flew towards the people I sensed being most important at the moment. I deftly evaded the hundreds of pieces of demolished ships which were tumbling around the few remaining big parts of the cruisers. Without the Force guiding my hands, navigating this clusterfuck would have been moderately challenging but now it was just like a training exercise in a simulator set on easy.

A curious sight greeted me when I reached the life signs. An escape pod was gripped by an oddly shaped craft. It looked like a robot's manipulator with four fingers.

From the center of that strange craft, where the middle of the palm would be if it really was a hand, four fragile looking droids appeared. They had something that resembled miner's helmets on their heads, right down to the round light mounted on the front. The robots had rocket packs on their backs which they used to maneuver in space.

The computer built into my helmet detected wireless communication and tapped into them. I heard synthetic voices speaking with unfamiliar accents.

"Let's pop this can!" said one overly enthusiastic droid and activated a blowtorch mounted on its right forearm.

The Sith part of me grumbled in irritation at my decision to save the clones. They were Republic scum!

I dialed down the power of my fighter's laser cannons to near hand-held weapon's strength and unloaded a barrage of crimson laser bolts at the quartet of unsuspecting robots, before turning my guns on the droid piloting the arm-shaped craft, which was watching its fellow machine commit murder.

The robots didn't stand a chance. With no shields and being mass-produced expendable grunts, they were annihilated by the underpowered laser blasts of my cannons. After I made sure that there were no more of the killer robots milling around, I positioned my fighter so that I had a good view of the inside of the capsule.

There were a pair of dark-skinned clones, who were wearing dark blue, almost gray, navy uniform. No armor which could be sealed if their escape pod was breached by something. I guess it was their lucky day.

Well that seals it. I was pretty sure that I was in the Clone Wars era. I knew it was unlikely that the ROB fucked up, but it was kinda nice to have independent confirmation.

"Escape pod, this is Rogue Knight, please respond." I said over the frequency on which they were asking for help. It had taken less than a minute to find it and contact the Republic survivors.

To my surprise, the answer came from another capsule, which was tumbling our way. There was a shift in the Force that made me pay attention to the newcomers. I knew that feeling. There was a bloody Jedi on the second pod!

I shook my head in exasperation. Obviously ROB wanted to make my life interesting from the start. I grinned wondering what exactly the Jedi and the clones would do when they figure out what exactly came to their rescue.

**=RK=**

**Part 2**

**Republic fleet's debris field**

**Unknown System**

"This is capsule one-nine-seven-seven. Thank you for the help," said a voice which had the characteristic distortion of one wearing a breathing mask.

"You are welcome. After an accident I happen to be stuck in this system without operational FTL. You wouldn't happen to have a way out of here, do you?" I asked cheerfully while using a Force technique known to many Sith of my time to cloak my Force Alignment. No reason to spook the Jedi for the moment.

The droid ship had jogged my memory. If I remembered it right, this was during one of the first episodes of the Clone Wars show so Skywalker should be appearing soon. It will be interesting to see if the "Chosen One" is anything like in the movies and the cartoons described him.

"We are sending distress signal to all Republic forces. I hope that someone will be here soon."

"Preferably before whoever sent the droids figures out that they are gone and decides to pay us a visit." I muttered.

While my fighter was state of the art... that was nearly four thousand years ago. I did not want to pit it against anything modern when I did not know how effective its weapons would be.

"That's nice mess we landed into this time," said one of the clones.

"I do not want to be pessimist, General, but I do not believe that someone will come searching for us any time soon," interjected another.

At that moment the scanner on my fighter pinged. A ship had entered the debris field.

"Well, someone came, all right." I sent to the Jedi and the clones. "This is Rogue Knight to the unknown ship that just entered the debris field. Please respond."

"This is Jedi Knight Skywalker. Who is this?"

"This is Delkatar Veil, I am parked near two escape pods with survivors. Follow my signal."

"This is Jedi Master Plo Koon. Good to hear from you Skywalker."

"Master Jedi, would you mind giving me a lift out of this system? I'm a bit stuck."

"That shouldn't be a problem," answered the Kel Dor male.

**=RK=**

I had to ditch my interceptor and take a spacewalk to the open compartment of Skywalker ship. The damn flying scrap pile was even uglier than in the show, which was a hard feat to achieve.

I stepped through the force field keeping the air inside and found myself face to face with master Koon. I could almost feel his glare. Yeah, I looked the splitting image of heavily armored Sith Warrior from ages past. Plus, from this short range, my camouflaging technique was less effective. Beside that was not a skill that I mastered. Or I should say Darth Vael, did not master.

"I am not your enemy, Jedi." I raised my hands in a gesture showing that I meant no harm.

"You reek of the Dark side. Whatever you did to conceal it is no longer working."

"It was never a high on my to do list," I shrugged nonchalantly. "If I meant you harm I would have blown up your capsules."

While we were chatting, the pair of clone troopers had raised their weapons and taken position between their navy brethren and me. Skywalker and his apprentice had moved closer to me and were gripping the hilt of their lightsabers.

Koon tilted his head to the left.

"I sense no deception from you."

Of course not. After all I needed them to get out of here. At least for now the Jedi were not on my target list. Why make them enemies when they could prove to be a useful asset?

"No need for it right now. As I said I need a ride out of here. And if you are wondering I am not with the separatist either."

"Who are you with then?" asked Asoka.

"I am a mercenary with a contract to fulfill," It was all true, from a certain point of view.

"Bounty hunter!" spat Skywalker.

I raised an eyebrow at his tone and the waves of anger coming from him. I did not think that he hated the practitioners of that profession. That was new. Though considering that he spent his childhood as a slave on Tatooine, it wasn't a stretch of the immagination that he might have a problem with the practicioners of that proffesion.

"Who is your target?"

"Grievous, Dooku and if the rumors are correct the Sith Lord who is pulling their strings."

The young Tortuga snorted at my dispassionate declaration.

"As if you could handle the likes of them, mercenary. One is a cybernetic monster and the other is a Sith."

"I have my moments."

Master Koon, who was studying me carefully, asked the next logical question.

"Who are you working for?"

"A couple of ROBs." I smirked under my mask. Let them make what they wish from that. It was another truth. Sometimes the most dangerous weapon on a Sith's disposal. Oh, we were masters of manipulation and deception, yet there were seldom lies that could be as devastating as the truth used in the right moment. After all, it what the truth was depended on one's perspective.

The three Jedi could sense that I was not lying to them, which was shattering their preconceptions, considering that to them I must have felt like a sore spot in the Force. They on the other hand were annoyingly bright, even the resident Emo.

"Will we stay here the whole day, exchanging pleasantries or shall we leave before whoever blew up that fleet," I pointed at the cruiser remains outside," decides to come back? Don't forget that there are few more pods with survivors out there."

The Jedi looked at each other for few moments and reached a decision. Apparently I was not the clear and present danger that needed dealing with, at least for the moment.

"It's a giant Ion cannon, mounted on a super cruiser," declared the Jedi Master.

"So that's what took out your fleet," I wondered if Grievous was on board.

A rapid fire series of beeps and whines came from the cockpit. If I interpreted the droid's speech correctly, a craft was approaching us.

"Just like the giant ship that is coming towards us?" I asked without a care in the world. Despite the mountain of weapons and armor that was approaching I was calm. We should have enough time to escape in FTL.

The Jedi rushed to the cockpit and I followed them calmly. On second thought, the lack of reaction probably was because of the sheer stupid amount of deadly situation in which I was during the last few months. Being in another one just didn't register as it would have before ROB recruited me.

Under the orders of Koon, Anakin and Ahsoka shut down the power of the ship and even R2 D2 but the cruiser continued racing towards our position.

I looked at the back of the transport. I could sense an active power source there.

"Do you have a medical droid or another astromech stashed in the back?" I wondered aloud.

The look of Skywalker face was priceless.

"We forgot the medical droid!" exclaimed Ahsoka. The Jedi hurried to restart the power.

I shook my head. And those were the people on who the galaxy counted on? All right, thanks to my Sith side I am biased, but today's performance was not great. On the other hand I knew a lot of Sith who were much bigger idiots but I digress.

I sent an order to my interceptor and its autopilot took it on a suicide attack run against the dreadnought. It wouldn't last long but all it needed to do was buy us few moments. My fighter attacked the behemoth, shooting laser bolts and torpedoes like there was no tomorrow. It was using a per-programmed evasive pattern which allowed it to survive for fifteen seconds against the awe-inspiring amount of flack that the cruiser was throwing its way.

The kamikaze run gave us enough time to bring back power and head through the debris field, which should provide a limited cover until calculations for FTL jump could be made.

Behind us the behemoth unloaded a truly massive pulse of Ion energy from its main cannon, which raced after the old transport.

As expected we entered hyperspace mere moments before the attack hit us.

**=RK=**

**Republic Fleet under the command of General Skywalker**

**Location Classified**

It was no wonder that Palpatine was able to fool the whole Jedi council. After spending few hours in a small ship with three of the most powerful Jedi of this generation, they knew nothing about me beside that I felt "Dark". Perhaps I should have been grateful that they had not figured what I was...

After arriving at Skywalker's fleet and landing on his command carrier/cruiser hybrid, the Jedi went to report to the council and ordered me to follow. Apparently they wanted a second opinion. I wondered if I'll have to fight my way out of here and steal a fighter to get away. However having to fight with the chief Emo, his Padawan, and a Jedi Master was not something I was looking forward to. Not when I was unsure how well I could use the abilities I remembered to have.

The only thing I could bet on was that I wasn't as skilled as Vael had been despite having him memories.

We reached the communications chamber, which was built around a big holo-projector. After few minutes of silence, Mace Windu and Yoda appeared as bluish, transparent holograms. The Vaapad master looked at us for a moment then frowned at me and Skywalker. It's good to know that my presence is appreciated.

"Master Koon, it's good to see you unharmed. And who is this?" asked the tall man who could have been a clone of Samuel Jackson.

"Master Windu, Master Yoda," The Kel Dor male gave a small bow to his fellow council members. He gave them a brief description of my actions.

"This man, who calls himself Delkatar Veil, says that he is a mercenary." Plo finished his report.

"Perhaps..." Yoda had a thoughtful expression on his face. His ears were twitching but I had no idea what, if anything, that action meant for his species.

"Simple mercenary, you are not!" declared the ancient Jedi master. "Yet, from you, threat I feel not!"

"What do you sense, master Yoda?" I nearly sneered. Being in the presence of the Jedi's Grandmaster… It stroke some painful memories that better be left forgotten for now.

The little alien wizard gave me a piercing stare which I returned. It was not hard, with my head hidden under a helmet.

"A Sith, yet not, you are."

"WHAT?!" Windu hissed.

Two blue lightsabers hissed to life and Anakin and Plo pointed them at me.

You got to love the Jedi. Apparently Yoda could sense what I am across the galaxy, yet Sidious is invisible under his nose. Figures. Bloody boy scouts.

I gave a bow to Yoda and Windu.

"Delkatar Veil, once known as Darth Vael, at your service, master Jedi."

During the bow, I had placed my right hand over the place on my robe where my lightsaber was hidden.

Ahsoka gasped when she heard my new introduction and had her weapon in hand, however it was not yet active.

The little fella was frowning at me something fierce.

"Malice, from you I sense not."

I rolled my eyes. I wondered if the first war between Jedi and Sith started because we no longer could stomach their maddening mysticism and word games.

"He is Sith! He admitted it!" exclaimed Mace.

Yoda was looking at me with a strange expression on his face, while the Jedi who were in the communication room with me looked determined, yet confused.

A self-styled Sith was in the same compartment with them and all we did so far was talking. I have not threatened them a single time yet. Definitely nothing like the usual Sith they were taught to expect I guess.

We all could feel a shift within the force. It was like the whole galaxy was holding its breath and waiting for something to happen. Time stood still before one moment and the next as Yoda was considering his options. Then the balance shattered and we all could sense a profound disturbance in the Force just as Yoda opened his mount to speak.

**=RK=**

**Part 3**

**Republic Fleet under the command of General Skywalker**

**Location Classified**

"Hmm." rumbled the tiny Jedi Master. "Hard to see, the future is."

He stared at me with his huge eyes as if it was my fault. I grimaced. Jedi! Everything had to be blamed on the obvious Dark side wielder! Bloody wankers!

"Fear in your heart I sense. Something that you seek, there is?"

My mind wandered to the one thing that kept me sane during the war. My eyes darted from the Jedi Master to Skywalker. And I felt one of the few things that are taboo for the Sith. Pity. The fools, warding themselves from any feeling. With no one to act as an anchor it was easy to lose oneself to the darkness.

I smiled. A woman's laughter was ringing in my ears. I almost saw a brilliant smile on a face framed by blinding yet comforting light. I had someone waiting for me. So I could not afford to fail. Or let myself be controlled by the seductress that is the Dark side.

Vael had lost his wife, an event driving him deep into the clutches of the Dark side and nearly drowning him in madness before he fought his way back into control of his destiny. I still had my anchor, even if she was a universe away, yet I couldn't help it but feel the dormant fury of the Sith sharing my head.

My attention snapped back to the present.

"I seek to correct a mistake. For that to happen my mission here must be accomplished."

"Mmm." rumbled Yoda and looked down. His ears slumped. "A tapestry of possibilities paints the Force. Around you it gathers. Light and Dark."

He looked me in the eyes. My helmet was no obstacle to his piercing gaze.

"The Chosen one, you are not. Yet the future, shrouds you like a cloak."

'Past, present and future you've seen, have you not?' His voice sounded in my mind.

He fucking knew! Somehow! Damn it, I was a soldier! There was a reason that I avoided Dromund Kaas like the plague when I could! I hated all the intrigues and political games that dealing with the highest echelons of Sith and Jedi leadership guaranteed. When all is said and done what was happening right now was such a game from the highest order.

I reinforced my mind shields and chose my next words very carefully.

"I've seen possible futures. It does not bode well for the Jedi. I believe you suspected it when the first battle of the Clone Wars started."

I waved my left arm around, while being careful not to cut it on one of the two lightsabers pointed at me. My right hand never left the hidden hilt of my blade.

"I can confirm it. It is hard to trap a Jedi or Sith. Yet, here we are – in the middle of the greatest trap for Jedi that this galaxy has ever known. "

"What are you talking about?!" asked Anakin with hostility in his voice.

"The Clone Wars the trap are."

"The Republic or the Separatists. It does not matter who wins. It is irrelevant. In either case the Jedi lose. That is the point of the war."

"Yes," muttered Yoda.

So he knew it from the beginning. If I was a betting man I would have said that he saw himself without good options. If the Jedi declined to take part in the war, when one of their own was the face of the Separatists, the Order would have lost what credibility it still had. Not to mention that some Jedi would have disregarded the orders to remain neutral, just as Revan and his followers did.

Or they fought and died divided upon countless battlefields. Not to mention that the war created great opportunities to tarnish their image in the media. Win-win situation for Sidious. He had a good plan that worked. The Sith part of me was bouncing around my mind at the worthy challenge that the current Dark Lord would pose.

"You can't fulfill your purpose as guardians of the Republic without being a part of the war. Yet the moment you joined, the Jedi as a whole lost."

Windu gave me a dark glare but said nothing. He, as well as all of us sensed that this was the Grandmaster's of the Jedi order, show. Besides for a brief instant the swirling vortex of the Force pushed aside the shadow blocking the Jedi's vision. They knew that I was right. That revelation would have some interesting consequences down the line.

The ball was in Yoda's court. I decided to poor more fuel to the fire.

"You are the one who mentioned the prophecy of the Chosen One. We Sith, know of it as well. Do you not wonder what 'brings back balance to the Force' means?" I smiled maliciously.

"Skywalker is supposed to destroy the Sith! He should start with you!" Windu glared at me.

"As of now, there are three Sith in this galaxy. Dooku, his Master and me. How many Jedi are there? How can there be a balance with thousands of you Jedi running around and so few of my kind?"

If their gob smacked expressions were anything to go by, neither of them ever looked at the prophecy from that point of view. From a certain point of view, Anakin brought balance back to the force when he helped destroy the Jedi order. Twenty odd years later he fulfilled the last part of the prophecy by offing Sidious and at least for a time getting rid of the Sith. After all there were thousands of Sith holocrons spread around the galaxy, just waiting for someone willing to learn. In time new Sith would emerge.

Thanks to the memories I now had I believed that getting rid of the current edition of the Sith was not a bad thing. From the point of view of a warrior from four thousand years ago, the rule of two was an idiot's plan which guaranteed that knowledge would be lost with every cycle of apprentice slaying his or her master. What were the odds that the student would wait for his teacher to give him all his knowledge? Plagues and Sidious were a case in point.

Speaking about Anakin, he was looking positively ill. Wouldn't you know it? He was starting to think for himself, and did not like my interpretation of the prophecy. Roughly speaking there were three ways to ensure the "balance", depending on your preconceptions about the Force. Or how much you've been indoctrinated by the Jedi or Sith. Wipe out either sect, or both and start with a clean sheet. That was what had really happened. How many trained Jedi and Sith were there at the end of the sixth film? Well, that is if you believed in fate. I am pretty sure that my presence here was not ordained by the Force or something like that. Nope. Couple of ROB's made a deal and the future of a galaxy is changed. Unless I got myself killed again.

I could feel the Force swirling around me and Yoda. It was stiff. Like a snake coiled for a strike. The Jedi Master was about to make up his mind.

"Hard it is. Against all I was taught by my own master it is. Done nothing against the Jedi of this age you have. Enemy you are not. Perhaps too much in the prophecy we have believed. "

I smiled broadly. The knot of energy in which center I was staying dissipated, sending a shock-wave through the Force. What once would have been was no more. The future was there, waiting to be shaped by the present. However now there were two shadows looming in the depths of the Force.

Sidious and me. A new game was afoot.

"This is a mistake we may not live to regret!" Mace Windu cut off his connection and his hologram winked out.

"I feel that I'll have a lot of headaches with that fella." I muttered.

Ahsoka snorted in amusement.

"That's not a nice thing to say about Master Windu." said the little Togruta but she could not hide the edge of mirth in her tone.

"A Jedi with a sense of humor! You are not hopeless after all!" I exclaimed. Tano was a little gem that needed polishing.

"Snips, behave!" Skywalker admonished his Padawan but I sensed that he agreed with her.

Ah! Now I remembered. Windu was not one of Anakin's fans either.

Master Koon shut down his weapon and placed its hilt on his belt. He turned his head towards me.

"What do you intend to do now?"

"Well, while I am stuck here I may give you hand with that oversized cruiser. It's Grievous flag ship, right? It will be a good opportunity to deal with him. Besides, I do not believe that your Grandmaster would let me on my way without supervision. Who knows? I may go and corrupt someone with my insidious ways?" I quipped.

"Indeed." Yoda made his opinion clear. "For the best it will be, if a Jedi go with you. From a different age, you are. The Galaxy changed is from the time you knew. Hmm... I wonder... A cruiser to hunt you have. Speak of this later, we will." Yoda turned his attention at Anakin.

"Knight Skywalker. Problem, understanding orders, you have..."

It was amusing to listen how Yoda berated the "Chosen one" for disobeying orders and saving us.

"You are correct, Master Jedi. It is a strange new world. Last time I checked, leaving survivors of your fleet to fend for themselves and concentrating on the objective, well, it was a practical thing to do. An action worthy of any self-respecting Sith."

Yoda's ears slumped.

"This war. Clouds ones judgment, it does." muttered the small Jedi. "Meditate I will on a lot of things. May the Force be with you."

With that he cut the connection.

Anakin looked at me with a confused expression. A Sith lecturing a bunch of Jedi about morality. It sent their minds for a spin. I found it hilarious.

"It was something that Dooku would do, wasn't it?" asked Anakin with a hollow voice.

"It was the practical thing to do." I interjected. Expediency was a slippery slope that was often fatal for the Jedi. It was one thing for someone not a force sensitive to make such a decision. For a Jedi however... "And to answer your question – yes, it was."

Skywalker deactivated his lightsaber and rubbed his face with his left hand. He was starting to see the Jedi in a different light. It was a small step to make, but significant one. I wondered where would it take him.

The discussion was effectively ended by the rumble of my stomach.

With the dimension jumping that sent me here I had no idea how long it was since this body ate for the last time. If the memories of Darth Vael were correct it was nearly a day. At least.

"I'll show you to the mess hall." said Anakin. "Snips, are you coming?"

**=RK=**

**Chancellor's office**

**Senate Building**

**Coruscant**

Palpatine, the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic sat slumped in his comfortable chair. He was dealing with the bane of every ruler – mountains of paperwork. He had plans to deal with a lot of that nonsense once he was Emperor but for now, it was an inevitable evil.

The former senator from Naboo was reading a pad filled with various laws which would be proposed on the next senate session. He or his sympathizers had made few of those. The rest, he had to check them to see if there was something that could be turned to his use or if there was something that would be a problem for one of his plans. It was boring but necessary work. It would not do for one of his enemies to sneak in something troublesome without his knowledge. After all, even for someone like him it was impossible to know everything. It was a big galaxy.

He was reading about a law that should have resolved the disputes between few minor worlds on the edge of Republic space. So far he had no plans for those planets. They were tiny fishes in a very big ocean. Palpatine snarled. This was waste of his precious time!

The boredom of the Sith Lord was abruptly ended by a tremor in the Force. It's deliciously, dark currents were disrupted by something unseen. There was a ... change in the air. He frowned, concentrated and sent his mind searching for the cause of the disturbance. The Dark side was stronger than ever and was throwing huge shadows which would blind any Jedi trying to divine what was happening. It was one of the many advantage Sidious had.

He was not a man easily surprised. However that day he was. And it was not pleasant. For the first time in his memory, the shroud of the Dark side obscured his vision too. The Force was in turmoil and he sensed that it was waiting for something to happen. For minutes he searched for the reason of this confusion. It was futile. Which infuriated Sidious. He was the Dark Lord of the Sith! What was happening should have been beyond the skills of any Jedi. For a moment he thought that Dooku was up to something but disregarded that idea. That did not felt like his apprentice.

A senate functionary entered the Chancellor's office without announcing himself. It was a shifty looking male Rodian who was out of luck. The man saw the livid Palpatine, whose eyes were blazing with sick yellow light. With a wave of his hand, Sidious vented some of his frustration on the unfortunate being. The Rodian was gripped by invisible hand which started squeezing. He tried to scream as his bones snapped and his flesh was rent apart.

The Sith Lord discarded the body to a dark corner of his office. He was now a bit calmer and was almost thankful to the unfortunate creature. This was not the place to lose ones temper. He should have controlled himself better, yet the sudden potency of the Dark Side had left him drunk with power for some time.

The Force shifted. It was still shrouded by darkness but there was a significant difference. It was a dance of Dark and Light currents. It was the birth of a new future.

Sidious was no longer the absolute master of the Dark side and if it was not for his arrogance and pride he would have seen the signs. What he knew was that now his sight within the Force was as bad as the one those foolish Jedi had. There was a new shadow which was obscuring even his vision! He vowed vengeance on whoever was casting it! That person would feel his boundless wrath! The Dark Lord of the Sith was not someone to be crossed! The Dark side was his to command!

**=RK=**

**Part 4**

**General Skywalker's command ship Resolute **

**Location: Classified;**

The meals in the Mess hall were... adequate. I've had worse tasting things served on warships before. And it beat all equivalents of MREs I've tried to eat so far. I was eating something that tasted like a chicken with some kind of bitter sauce. Strange combination but not bad.

Skywalker and Tano were keeping me company on the corner table I had chosen. I had my back safely towards a wall with no way for someone to sneak up to me from behind.

What can I say? Healthy paranoia.

Skywalker was munching on a meal identical to my own and let me tell you, that boy do have a healthy appetite. Next to him Ahsoka was nibbling on a salad, an odd choice for someone of her species.

Her attention was firmly on me. I could see curiosity sparkling in her huge eyes.

All around us groups of clones and few normal crew members were helping themselves to whatever the cooks had ready. I believe it was the lunch cycle for the ship.

Few minutes ago, when we reached the table with our food and I took off my helmet, I saw surprise on the face of my companions. I do not think that they were expecting an ordinary looking human in his late twenties. I think I looked underwhelming for a Sith. My lips twitched in a small smile at that thought. Ahsoka was looking like a slip of a girl, too small to be any real danger yet she was anything but harmless. Judging a force user by his outwards appearance was a fool's bargain.

I swallowed another bite of the fried meat and looked at the Padawan.

"Ask your questions before you start bouncing around in excitement." I glanced at the clones, some of who were giving me interested glances. If the rumor mill was all right and working they knew that I had saved couple of their brethren and perhaps that I was a Sith. The later was information that I preferred to be closely guarded for the time being but knew that the cat would be out of the bag soon. I would not be surprised if in few days Palpatine watches a copy of the conversation between me and the council members.

It was not vital. I was a Sith Warrior. Stealth was not one of our strong points. I hoped that little fact won't bite me on the ass one of these days.

"Explanation is in order I think. How did you end in that system anyway?" asked Skywalker.

"And what does Master Yoda mean when he told us that you are from a different age?"

What was the best way to lie to Jedi? Tell as much of the truth as possible.

"I was in a battle over Korriban, the ancient Sith world. It was not a notable clash between Imperial and Republic forces – just one among dozens space skirmishes that were raging across the galaxy. The imbecile who was masquerading as the Sith Lord in command of the fleet I was part of panicked when the enemy received reinforcements. He employed an experimental super weapon which was mounted on his command dreadnought. The next thing I know I awoke in my interceptor in the system you found me. The rest you know."

"We are not fighting an Empire! Just the Separatists!" exclaimed Ahsoka. She was cute when pouting like that. Way too cute.

Down boy, stay away from the Jedi jailbait!

I shook my head. The Sith, whose memories were bouncing around my head had not been laid in some time. That was the last thing I needed – lusting after Skywalker's Padawan. I ordered my eyes not to pass lower than the neckline of the scantily clad Togruta female and concentrated on the conversation and my lunch. Safer that way.

"Hmm. It was a thousand years since the last war with the Sith."

"So I am from at least that long ago. Splendid." I pretended to be distraught.

I frowned at the Jedi Knight.

"During that war, did the Sith raid Coruscant and lay waste to the Jedi temple?"

"You must be jocking! The last time something like that happened was almost four thousand years ago!" Now Ahsoka was looking at me like a favorite science project.

"Lucky me." I grumbled. I could picture it already. Historians from all over the galaxy flocking to my side and begging for interviews. The Sith in me showed me various graphic and bloody ways of dealing with such pests. What disturbed me was the fact that instead of dismissing the ideas I started thinking how feasible they were or how not to get caught! Bloody Sith!

I looked at the exited Padawan.

"No. I am not a historical guide!"

Tano pouted adorably and started chewing her lower lip. I smirked.

"That's not working either."

"Ahsoka!" I detected a hint of whining in Anakin's voice. The girl was a handful to deal with.

I went back to my lunch while master and apprentice were having a staring match.

Skywalker's attention returned to me.

"You said that you were thrown into the system by a super weapon. From the past no less. Yet you apparently know more about the enemy leadership than us!"

"I had an enlightening chat with a lady." I smirked at the Jedi. "She is the one who sent me after your small Sith infestation. She gave me some up to date information. That's all you need to know."

Mostly true though what information I had was from the movies and the few episodes of the Clone Wars I've watched. So I was flying mostly blind. At least I knew who the Sith Lord was running the war. Dealing with the clusterfuck that was the failing Republic was a topic for another time.

Skywalker slumped over the table.

"It has to be a secret Sith trick!" he moaned. "I can't tell if you are lying through your teeth or not!"

"The Force works in mysterious ways." I deadpanned. Messing with Jedi was fun! My inner Sith approved.

"What did I do to deserve this?" asked Anakin.

**=RK=**

My temporally quarters consisted of a small compartment, in which there was barely enough place for the single bed and the attached fresher. I got issued few essential necessities from the clone's supplies and went to take a shower. Once I felt reasonably refreshed I fell all over the contents of a pad which was provided to me by Skywalker. It contained the manual and relevant specks for a V-19 Torrent Starfighter. It looked like a nice enough machine but it was over-engineered in my opinion.

It was armed with pair of laser cannons and two concussion missile launchers. The good news was that it had a class 1 hyperdrive and consumables for a week. If the Jedi changed their minds one of these toys should be able to get me to a civilized planet.

I fell asleep reading the manual.

**=RK=**

Obviously Mr. Murphy or one of his irritating relatives, was well and kicking in this universe. He decided that with me being a Sith and experienced pilot, there was no need to give me time in the simulators for the Torrent. That would be just too easy! There was about a half hour before I was informed of what was to come.

I was awoken by a cheerful and full of energy Ahsoka. We had a briefing to attend to. I grabbed my weapons and helmet (I slept in my armor) and followed the young Togruta who led me to one of the hangars where Admiral Yularen, the nominal commander of the fleet and Skywalker were preparing a briefing. Master Koon joined us on the way there.

With capital ships being easy prey for Malevolence's (that's the dreadnought we were after) Ion cannon, High Command, read Palpatine, had decided to send a bomber attack against the ship. I wondered what his plan was. Either Grievous was too successful and needed his wings clipped or the Sith Lord hoped that the attack would fail and after the fuck up he would achieve some political gain. Those were the most likely scenarios. But it could be something else altogether. It was not like I was privy to all of the bastard's plans. Considering what was the cyborg's next target, either of those could be the correct answer. What was important was that one of my targets was on the ship we were going to attack.

When the briefing was over and the clones headed to their ships we went to meet Anakin.

"It's an aggressive plan." started Plo.

As if that was a bad thing in a war. Oh, wait. They were Jedi. Aggression was a baaad thing. How foolish of me...

"Are you sure that the squadron would be able to handle the mission?" continued the Jedi Master.

Skywalker grinned and asked the pilots who were more than sure.

They were Shadow squadron. I liked them already. A fitting name.

While Anakin was trying to reassure Master Koon of the impending success of the raid, the Admiral, who was staying few meters away was grimacing. I raised an eyebrow at that. He was the carrier military man and experienced to booth. One thing I learned from my Sith's memories was not to scoff at the opinion of flag officers who were not force sensitive. Some of them knew much more than me about the matter at hand.

"Admiral Yularen, what do you think about this plan?"

The Flag-officer was surprised by my question. I gather that the Jedi did not seek his opinion often. Or it was the fact that I might be confused for a bounty hunter who somehow had found his way on his ship. My armor gave off that vibe. It was handy at times.

The Admiral's frown deepened.

"No disrespect meant to General Skywalker, but his plan has too high a chance of failure. Even if only a couple of the bombers are shot down short of the target, the rest of the squadron may not have the firepower necessary for taking out the bridge."

Anakin scowled at that criticism while Plo Koon nodded sagely.

"That's why I'll join the mission." said the Jedi Master.

"Admiral, are other bomber squadrons aviable or even few fighter wings as escorts?" I asked.

The Admiral was deep in thought for a minute.

"I may be able to spare a fighter squadron for escort but Shadow squadron has all of our operational bombers. During our last engagement the bomber wings suffered heavy losses. "

"That will have to do."

"I'll give the necessary orders. May I inquire who you are, Master Jedi?" asked Yularen.

I grinned.

"I am Delkatar Veil. And I am no Jedi, Admiral. I am the Sith assigned to help you deal with this whole Separatists mess."

He looked at me in confusion. My grin became wider.

"You know what the Jedi are, right?" I waved at my three companions.

Yularen nodded and looked at me wondering what was going on about.

"Well, they are the ones preaching peace and suppressing your feelings. Plus they are big on meditation. My people are on the other side. That is the religious conflict between the Jedi and the Sith. We accept our passions and are not afraid of conflict. As you may know, Count Dooku, who was once a Jedi, is the nominal leader of the Separatists. He is a Sith now. And there are rumors that another one is controlling him. I was sent to deal with them and their cronies permanently."

The Jedi were glaring at me for this most simple of explanations and for reminding the Admiral that the other side was led by a former Order member.

Yularen, while not trusting me yet, was a crafty military leader and he smelled an opportunity for acquiring allies.

"Will your people send additional support?" asked the Admiral.

I shook my head.

"Unfortunately, the ones who sent me are not permitted to meddle further in what is, essentially, a Republic civil war. I hope that my talents will be sufficient. I'm glad I met you, sir." I snapped a crisp Sith salute which was returned by the Admiral, who answered me with the equivalent of his service. Then he gave a small nod of approval after the exchange of military courtesy.

If the Jedi's expressions were anything to go by, which was more than any of them had received so far. The Admiral executed a precise formal bow towards the Jedi and left followed by Skywalker.

"Skywalker inspires a great confidence in his men but I am glad for the additional escorts." said Plo.

"We are just following his example." Ahsoka gave us a small smile.

"High moral, by itself, is far from enough on a modern battlefield. I hope that the addition of a fighter wing will be enough. Now where is my machine?"

I was led to a fighter, which was being checked by a team of engineers. It was parked near a roll of yellow, BTL-B Y-starfighters, more commonly known as Y-Bombers.

=RK=

I was chatting with the mechanics going over my fighter and asking about getting some simulator time when the Admiral hurried to Skywalker's side. The Jedi and his Padawan were next to the bomber they would pilot once the Malevolence was found.

To the Jedi's shock it turned out that Grievous had blown up a medical convoy transporting wounded and now was on his way to a secret starbase which was acting as a hospital. More importantly, that facility was the only secure place where clones from battlefields in the nearby sectors could be sent to heal. Its destruction would be a great blow for the Republic ensuring a nearly catastrophic loss of soldiers.

Ahsoka was outraged at the cyborg's choice of targets. Granted, targeting the hospital required a certain level of ruthlessness but when you take into account the general attitude of the public towards the clones (and how the hell did I know that?!) it might easily be seen as a legitimate target on par with droid factories and repair shops. To most civies in the Republic (and on the Separatist backing worlds) the clones were not real people. This was a war fought by expendable armies. As long as parents on the core worlds did not have to send their sons and daughters on the front-lines the support for the war would be higher than otherwise expected. I'll give Palpatine that, he had planned this war very well.

Soon after the news came in, we were ready to launch. Eleven bombers, a wing of ten Torrent fighters, one Jedi starfighter and me.

It was not a formidable force when you consider what we were facing.

To my surprise another Republic fleet came in just as we were leaving. That was Kenobi's command. Obi-Wan and Yularen's capital ships were taking the long (and much safer) route towards the medical station. My insistence for more fighters and bombers was denied by the Jedi. Mr. Murphy was in full swing. Before arriving here, the small craft of Kenobi's fleet were mauled by enemy fighters. I just knew that there was a ROB somewhere watching the show with amusement.

"I hope you know what you are doing." Obi-Wan's voice came over the frequency reserved for Jedi use. My hosts had given it to me so we had a secure comm channel.

"Well, if I don't, I won't be alive for you to say 'I told you so!'"

"Skywalker, that has the rest of us walking to hell with you. You know that, right?" I asked.

Bloody idiot.

"That's not reassuring. So you are Delkatar Veil, our new guest?"

"Yup. I did not know that it was standard procedure for you Jedi to send your guests on suicide missions to get their blood pumping. This actually raised my opinion about you folks." I quipped.

Just before we entered hyperspace, Matchstick, the Shadow squadron leader said that he'll be buying the drinks if we accomplished the mission.

"I'll hold you up to that." I muttered and sent my fighter into FTL.

**=RK=**

The first hyperspace jump ended near a beautiful nebula. Here was the entrance to what Skywalker considered a short cut.

"We should be careful. The nebulas could be treacherous." warned Master Koon.

The clones were busy to reassure us that they would be able to handle it. I knew a typical pilot's bravado too well not to recognize it in their voices. They were wary but refused to admit it even to themselves.

"Hey! The Padawan has opinion too!" exclaimed Ahsoka from the gunner's seat on Anakin's fighter.

A small smile played around my lips as I spoke up.

"Miss Tano, there is one paradigm which apparently never changes. No matter if you are a Jedi Padawan or a Sith apprentice, your master tends to disregard or outright ignore your opinion."

"At least R2 is on my side!" grumbled Ahsoka.

Ah. Jedi! They led me to sight see the most amazing places. While beautiful to look at from outside, the yellow-orange Nebula was a stone cold bitch to navigate. The visibility was down to few meters and the scanners were useless here. The clones had to fly after the engine light of the fighter directly in front of them. I and presumably the Jedi had no such problems. I could feel the clones and my three Force wielding companions and used them as beacons as I flew.

"The scanner is down!" exclaimed Ahsoka.

"We have to pilot by instinct." said Anakin smugly.

"Skywalker is right, Ahsoka. Clean you mind and you'll see the direction we are going." instructed Koon.

I took the opportunity to break in with my own piece of advice.

"While you are at it, try and feel us all. You could see each one of us in the Force and use us as beacons. Try avoid crashing into someone else's machine." I added.

"Nope. I still see nothing! Besides, I'm not the one flying! If we crash it will be all Skyguy's fault!" grumbled the Padawan.

I smirked.

"You'll learn kid."

"Hey! I don't do crashes! That often..."

We continued our flight and I listened to the clones banter in order to help stave off the boredom.

**=RK=**

Couple of hours later I was cursing my luck. And my ingenious idea to go to the Jedi. How I could forget about what was supposed to happen in this force cursed Nebula I'll never know. I'll blame it on ROB messing with my head.

It all started when our nosy Padawan asked Skywalker how he knew about the short cut. You see, it was a smugglers route. He heard about it on Tatooine. No surprises there.

"They call it the Balmorra Run." said Anakin proudly.

"The Balmorra Run?!" exclaimed Koon.

The almost scared tone of the Jedi Master was my first clue. Then I sensed that something big and alive was moving our way at high-speed. The stream of curses that left my mouth could make an old and grizzled smuggler blush. I sensed more of the things approaching.

"Scatter! Scatter! Scatter!" I shouted and hit the afterburners.

Few of the clones followed my example. Good men. While the others were waiting for orders and Anakin and Plo were arguing Ahsoka detected the approaching danger but was ignored.

Skywalker ordered evasive maneuvers and banked right just in time to avoid being eaten by a giant neebray manta. What is with Jedi in this day and age!? The Anakin's Padawan detected the beasts on their bomber's crippled scanners before either of them sensed the things in the Force!

We found ourselves flying through a thinner part of the Nebula. The nesting place of those creatures, where scores of them were flying in a circle. Those things were easily kilometer long or bigger! I let the Force guide my hands and I was astonished to experience firsthand what was to be one with it! It was amazing. I really could see where each part of the bodies of the animals would go before it moved. It was a bit of a surrealistic experience but far from unpleasant. In fact it was almost addicting. When did I became an adrenaline junky anyway?! My Torrent danced through this labyrinth made from living flesh and I smiled at the exhilaration I felt.

The ride through the shoal of neebray mantas ended too fast for my taste. Few of the bombers scrapped pieces of their machines over the huge space monsters but otherwise they were all right. Those of us flying fighters fared better. Our rides were much more agile so we could easily dodge the living behemoths.

"Keep the course men! They won't follow us out of the Nebula!" said Koon.

"We are exiting!" declared Ahsoka seconds later.

And here we were. On the other side. The Hospital was nearby. We were just in time.

**=RK=**

The medical station was almost in visual range when enormous shadow appeared on our sensors. Couple of clones panicked thinking that the space mantas had followed us but soon cooler heads prevailed. That was Malevolence, our target. Which was actually a bigger concern that a group of animals, no matter how big.

It was time to see if the change I made in the timeline would be enough.

It was my turn to grimace. We were approaching the super cruiser from the side. It gave it a good angle from which to shoot at us. Beyond it I could barely make out the form of a mushroom-shaped space station. Then all hell broke loose.

The capital ship shot its massive Ion cannon at something near the station, followed by an avalanche of red turbo-laser bolts. Either some escorts which had made it on time or medical frigates attempting to escape. They were doomed. I could sense people dying.

I disregarded that feeling and concentrated my attention at the matter at hand. Grievous was idiot. He had sent a bunch of vulture droids to meet us but they were relatively few. Far from enough to put a dent in the fighter compliment of such a big ship as the Malevolence.

Even without the escorts, the bomber wing had good chances to break through such a small swarm. With the squadron of Torrent's present so few droids did not stand a chance of stopping us. So the Separatist General was either a fool or too arrogant which in the end was almost the same thing.

I had no more time for stray thoughts. The droids were in range.

**=RK=**

I and Koon led the fighter screen and we charged at the incoming droids. While, thanks to my "new" memories I knew it intellectually, the short range at which the combat was about to take place surprised me. I should have known better.

Have you wondered why dogfights in Star Wars are at visual range? Sure in the films it looks "Cool" and that is all. Not so here. The amount of ECM thrown from the super cruiser and droid fighters was insane. While the scanners could detect the general position where the enemy fighters were, that was not good enough at the speeds at which our machines moved. So all of us, people and droids alike, had to go and mix up close and personal.

The scanners managed to cut through the ECM just outside of visual range. The first shots would be ours. I highlighted two enemies for my targeting computer and pressed the firing button for the missile launcher the moment I got a target acquisition tone.

The rest of the Torrent equipped squadron followed my lead. Before we flew into a rain of laser fire, twenty two concussion missiles separated from our fighters, raced forward and darted towards the robots which were closing with us with suicidal tenacity.

Most of the missiles found their targets while few were shot down by lucky hits. Nineteen vultures died in short lived blazes of plasma and molten metal. Then their brethren were upon us. I blew up a conveniently placed droid before breaking up my headlong charge and maneuvering to avoid destruction.

Whatever misgivings I had about my new V-19 fighter were gone. It handled like a dream as it weaved around barrages of enemy fire. I knew where danger lied and could feel in which vectors I could safely aim my Torrent. It flew in front of its afterburner plumes as I deftly guided it in a deadly waltz.

Another robot fighter shattered under the hail of my laser cannons while it was trying to acquire a firing angle over one of the bombers.

A clone screamed as his Torrent was immolated around him.

I put the agility of my Torrent to good use when two of the machines flew behind me, pissed off at the destruction of their comrades.

I led them on a lethal chase among the Y-Bomber formation. The assault machines were flying at the Malevolence counting on their shields for protection. It was not like they could really dogfight. Their gunners made a short work of my pursuers. I shouted "Thanks!" on the all hands channel and darted at another target. A lucky hit blew the "brain" of the droid and sent the machine spinning out of control. In few thousand years it might ruin someone's day.

Three vultures were flying headlong towards a pair of republic fighters. The guns of the five machines were blazing at their respective enemies. A droid fighter was destroyed. I nailed second.

The third received a grazing hit and lost control. It slammed at one of the clone fighters which was flying towards it with incredible speed. Both machines were engulfed by an explosion that illuminated the canopy of my cockpit. It shinned like a small star for the brief moment it existed.

I sensed a danger heading my way.

"Break out! Move to the periphery!" shouted Skywalker.

I hit the afterburner. I listened to the Force and raced at the direction where it whispered that safety awaited.

A massive circle made of purple lighting was flying our way. The bombers were moving just in front of me and I was overtaking them thanks to my superior acceleration.

"Shadow two! Your speed is decreasing!" shouted Tano.

I could see how one of the Y-Bombers slowed down its climb to safety. Its right engine was smoking.

"It's nothing, sir! I'm trying!" shouted its pilot.

Unfortunately, his damaged fighter was unable to keep up with the strain. A piece of his engine blew out and the whole unit lit up on fire. The bomber lost control and tumbled out of formation. I knew what was about to happen before it occurred. In my mind I watched how the wounded starfighter slammed in one of the following bombers and both machines crumbled as if made of paper. Not this time. I stretched my will through the Force. The out of control bomber lurched to the left, propelled by my mind. It was thrown out of the way of our squadrons.

I grinned foolishly when my wandering mind was slammed back into my body. My heart was thundering within my chest and I could feel blood rushing in my head. I was dazzled for few seconds before recovering. I knew, that now, when my mind recognized the phenomenon I would be able to use the Force easily without the tunnel vision I just experienced or the brief confusion that followed. I wondered whether Luke felt that way just after he shot the torpedo up the exhaust port of the Death Star.

"Squadron report!" Skywalker's order brought me back to the present.

"Matchstick is spinning out of control. Shadows Seven, Night and Ten are out of power." the answer came from Ahsoka.

"Rapier Two, five and eight are gone. Three, four and nine are out of control. I and the remains of the squadron are dealing with the rest of the clankers." reported the leader of Rapier squadron.

One more bomber and my machine were a viable in addition to what was left by this point in cannon. Or so I believed. That was bought with the lives of three clones. I wondered if that would make any difference against the capital ship.

We raced towards the leviathan.

"Reinforce forward shields!" ordered Skywalker.

"Hold this course!" that was Plo.

The super cruiser was becoming bigger alarmingly fast. My fighter danced around waves of turbo-laser fire and blasts of flack cannons.

"Skywalker! We need a new plan! The clones don't have our reflexes!" I shouted over the comm.

I already could see the debacle in the making. I've seen such things during the war four millennia ago. Whole wings piloted by ordinary men and women shattering upon the close in defenses of capitals ships. While fighters and bombers could swarm a cruiser and deal a lot of damage, that was when the small craft were in sufficient numbers. We weren't.

"We'll make it! Hold on!"

I had no choice but to follow. Breaking out of my course at this time would have left me on a vector which makes me an easy target.

We reached the ship without losing any of our numbers. The bombers headed for the hull of the cruiser. Flying near it would protect them from most of the gunfire. I and Koon followed.

"We are too close!" shouted a clone before his right engine was torn out from his fighter by the fire of an enemy weapon emplacement. The crippled bomber lost control and smashed into the upper hull of the cruiser. It barely dented the armor.

"Skywalker only those of us using the Force will make it at this rate!" I shouted to the hard-headed Jedi. I did a minuscule correction on my course and unloaded all my concussion missiles on a point just behind a row of flack cannons which were making the life of the clones harder. I was glad that the Force guided me correctly. Something gave up under the missile onslaught and the enemy fire slackened.

"Master, he is right! You'll make it but the rest of the squadron will be shot down!" Ahsoka supported me.

"SKYWALKER!" I shouted.

"Shadow squadron! New target! Head for the Ion cannon!"

"Finally!" I muttered.

The bomber squadron banked to the right side of the cruiser. We flew towards the charging super weapon and soon were seeing the pylons with which it was attached to the Malevolence.

"Launch torpedoes!" ordered Skywalker.

Blazing, pink spheres flew from underneath the bombers. The first few struck their targets and detonated, blowing away chunks of ablative armor. Then another and another missile flew at the same places. The next wave dug deeply in armor that was red hot after being rend asunder. It was too much. Few of the support pylons through which energy was fed to the Ion cannon shattered just as the weapon was about to fire. It was the worst possible moment for such attack to happen. The super weapon was unable to unleash the energy fed to its coils yet it had to go somewhere. Its mechanism exploded, sending nearly half of the power it was containing in a diffused sphere around the cruiser. The rest of the energy however was feedback in the Malevolence. It raced through the power grid blowing up everything within its path. Power conduits melted or exploded, terminals fused into useless pieces of scrap. Turbo-laser cannons exploded once the colossal energy wave reached them.

The cruisers listed to its right side. Multiple fires could be seen blazing all over its armored hull. The leviathan was crippled.

"Good work squadron!" The clones were congratulated by Master Koon.

I shared the sentiment and said so. Talk about snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. That stunt was too close for comfort.

Three Republic Venator-class cruisers chose that moment to arrive. They jumped in near the station and soon we heard the familiar voice of Kenobi.

"Anakin do you copy?"

"Yes."

"Congratulations! Your missions looks like a success."

"Grievous is still in one piece." I decided to rain on their parade.

"That dreadnought could go into FTL at any moment. You and your ships should do something about it, Master Kenobi."

"Calm down. We'll take it from here."

We headed to the medical station while the friendly cruisers threw everything they got at the behemoth which was trying to craw away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**AN: This chapter was betaed by Dymian on FF net! Thank you very much for the great work!**

**Phase 02 : **

**Emotion yet Peace; Peace is a Lie, There is only Passion**

**=RK=**

**Part 1**

**Kaliida Shoals Medical Center**

**Ryndellian Sector, near Naboo Star System**

The victorious remnants of the bomber wing and its escorts landed in one of the empty hangars of the half evacuated Hospital facility. I parked my fighter next to Skywalker's Y-Starfighter and after shutting down the engines I popped open the canopy and got out. I moved around Anakin's bomber and met him and Master Koon, who was congratulating the young Knight for his "excellent" leadership abilities.

"Excuse me?!" exclaimed Ahsoka. "Delkatar was the one who knew that the original plan wasn't going to work! He warned us!"

"You are correct smarty pants." snarked Skywalker.

"It depends on the point of view." declared Plo.

"Indeed, Master Koon. Skywalker, a word." I said after hearing their exchange.

The younger man turned around to face me.

"Yes? What is it?"

"Tell me, how often have you led clones or other pilots who are not force sensitive in battle?"

Skywalker frowned at my question.

"I've been a General for less than a month and I was assigned a fleet to command three weeks ago."

"That figures. Did you have any military training before being given command? Has someone tried to hammer in your head that most people could not perform as well in combat as Force users? We were fortunate that Grievous did not send more vultures to intercept us as well as the pylons supporting the Ion cannon were that vulnerable. If that cruiser did not try to fire just after the bombers hit its weapon this station would be gone and Kenobi's ships would be in a heap of trouble. "

The Jedi Knight looked positively mutinous. It seemed that no one had taken him up to a task in a long time. But I could see him thinking, which was a good thing. There were much more ways the bomber raid could have gone to hell then I could think from the top of my head.

"Skywalker, you need to understand that expecting normal people to be able to keep with you, will only get them killed. There are few aces that could pull stunts just like you in the cockpit of starfighter and that is before the Force is factored in. So in the future plan accordingly or you'll get a lot of good men killed."

I shook my head. "I'll never know whose idea was to put you Jedi as generals without first giving you at least basic military training!" I grumbled.

"That's not fair! We do good work out here!" disagreed Ahsoka.

I removed my helmet and looked her in the eyes.

"Look kid, I am not disputing that you are doing your best and sometimes even better. But the way this war is being run is Insane! How many people will die because you have to learn the craft of war on the battlefield, where every mistake is paid with blood and lives?"

"I... but..." muttered Ahsoka. "Arghhh!" The young Togruta clasped her hands into fists and growled.

"Too damn many..." whispered Skywalker.

The smirk which was on his face ever since the Ion Cannon was blown up was gone. I suspected that he was recounting all the battles he's been part of since the start of the war. I had no doubt that a lot of Jedi had been killed and battles lost because the newly minted commanders of the GAR had no idea what the hell they were doing. That explained the attitude of Yularen towards the Jedi too. While he followed their orders, the Admiral, had no respect for the Order members. Probably he has been part of battles in which the Jedi's lack of experience (and the disturbing tendency of some of them not to listen to advice) had let to easily avoidable losses. Then, considering his rank, Yularen would have undoubtedly read a lot of reports showing debacles caused by the new generals. No love lost there either.

"Then see to it that you do not make the same mistake twice. And listen to the military commanders you have access to. For example, it is very unlikely that Admiral Yularen has gotten his rank without knowing what the hell he was doing. "

Skywalker gave me a sharp nod and left. He had a thoughtful expression on his face.

I found myself alone with Ahsoka and R2-D2 who whined after Anakin. I grinned at the short astromech droid.

"So, you have your manipulators full with him, haven't you?" I asked the droid.

"Beeb-boo-br-bep!"

"I see. My condolences. It's hard to keep a hard-headed Jedi in one piece."

"Booop! Wheep! Breep! Boop!"

"So your mistress wants him intact. Well, good luck with that."

"That's Master Skywalker. He is one of a kind." said Ahsoka with a sad expression on her face. "Was it different in your time?"

I nodded.

"Military strategy and tactics were taught at both the Sith Academy on Korriban and The Jedi Temple. It was a different galaxy. You've had it easy. What was it? A millennium of peace? If you said that such a thing was possible during my time you'd be called mad and laughed out of the compartment. For us, Sith, the very concept of Peace is a lie. There is only passion. Conflict. It's how we grow and evolve. But it was also a trap. For way too many, conflict meant a war with the Republic. While that also helped to make us stronger it was a misleading concept at best."

"That is the contrary to what we are taught in the temple. There is no emotion, there is peace."

"What. The. Hell?!" I ground out every word as if I was shocked and furious. "So the idiots are teaching you to suppress and ignore your feelings?!"

Ahsoka shrugged her shoulders and gave me a small, helpless smile.

"Emotion, yet peace. That was the first creed of the Jedi from my time." I looked at Tano who was staring at me with huge eyes full with undisguised interest.

"They accepted their feelings but trained themselves not to be influenced by them when making decisions. We however, accept our passions. We do not fear them."

"That is certainly different. We are taught that emotions lead to the Dark side!" exclaimed the Padawan.

"That is lie. Denying your emotions? Ahsoka, you are a living, thinking and, most importantly, a feeling being. What do you think happens when the emotions become too much to handle after you've denied them all your life?" I asked quietly.

Ahsoka shook her head in denial.

"It is ironic, you know. For you Jedi, my kind are despicable servants of the Dark side. Do you wonder what we, the Sith, think about that? Every each one of us is in conflict for control with the Darks side. It never ends. It is what defines us. And here is the biggest difference between our world views; How it all started. The Jedi believe that you either have to suppress your emotions or learn how to disregard them. We on the other hand seek to control our feelings. We accept and revel in them. But we do not let our emotions control us. To do so means that we have lost our eternal conflict. "

We stood, shoulder to shoulder, and watched through the force field how the flashes of light made by Obi-Wan's fleet as it tried its best to deal a death-blow to Malevolence.

"You are trying to corrupt me, aren't you?" asked Ahsoka in a small voice.

I chuckled.

"That depends on ones point of view. I am trying to teach you to think for yourself. If that's all it takes to demolish the Jedi Dogma you've been spoon fed in the Temple... Well in that case you could reach your own conclusions."

She 'harumped' and walked away.

Tano was a bright kid. I hoped that she'll be able to see the Jedi teachings for what they truly are.

**=RK=**

**Part 2**

**The Negotiator, Obi-Wan Kenobi's Flag ship**

**Ryndellian Sector, near Naboo Star System**

From the bridge of the Venator class star destroyer, our target looked positively huge. The Malevolence dwarfed the three cruisers which were unleashing hell on the crippled dreadnought. Its stabilizers were destroyed yet that did not deter the Flag ship of General Grievous from attempting to flee.

For the last few hours, the Negotiator, Resolute and their sister ship

Dauntless were sending barge after barrage of blue turbolaser bolts but the colossal energies bombarding the enemy had no apparent effect. Its sheer bulk was absorbing the onslaught. The meters thick armor belt of the leviathan did not help matters either.

That was the disheartening sight which could be seen from the command tower of the Negotiator. It was watched by four Jedi one Sith and a Republic admiral. We all knew that the best bet of dealing with this monstrosity was with the help of reinforcements. Unfortunately the nearest fleet, which was under Jedi Master Luminara was engaging a Separatists fleet in nearby system. No help was coming from that direction any time soon.

"They are not making a jump to hyperspace. Their hyperdrive is down." declared Yularen.

"For how long?" I asked. "The fleet could batter at that thing for a week. If nothing changes its crew will have more than enough time to repair their FTL."

"The enemy ship is losing speed." reported on of the clones manning the bridge.

"Concentrate all fire on their command tower!" ordered Kenobi.

The fire from the three star destroyer's slackened for few seconds while the turrets acquired new target. Then death rained all over the bridge of the Malevolence. We stared at behemoth. The effect was underwhelming.

"At this rate we'll be here for a long time." I said with a hint of exasperation in my voice. We were unbelievably lucky that the attack run on the Ion Cannon disabled the rest of the dreadnought's weapons. Otherwise that thing would have made a short work of the Venators. These carrier/battleship hybrids were clearly outclassed by such an adversary.

What happened next confirmed something I was suspecting. ROB had messed with my mind. It was the only explanation why I was getting blindsided by events from Clone Wars episodes that I thought I remembered. I guess it was decided that with me being a Sith with training and abilities unseen for a very long time, it was more than enough going my way. No need to let me keep detailed knowledge about the war in which I was thrown.

It all started innocently enough. Ahsoka, who was looking over the sensor feeds was the first to detect a small transport ship exiting from FTL on top of the Malevolence.

"Are those enemy reinforcements?" asked Anakin just as the Admiral opened his mouth to do so too.

"No..." the Padawan trailed off. "It looks like a Naboo ship..." she grimaced.

"Cease fire!" shouted Kenobi. "What in God's name is she doing here?"

I decided to play dumb.

"Is that a friend of yours?" I asked innocently. Or as innocently someone like me could.

"Ahsoka, contact that ship!" snapped Anakin.

"Naboo transport, identify yourself! You are in the middle of an active war zone!"

"This is senator Amidala!" a distorted female voice came over the comm system.

A small hologram of hissed to life over the control station on which Ahsoka was working. To tell you the truth, the former queen looked better in real life that in either the Clone Wars or the movies. While her features were generally the same, they were a softer and had few miniscule differences which made her look stunning. I could see why a nine years old Anakin thought that she was an angel.

"Padme! What are you doing here?!"

"I am on diplomatic mission!"

"Tell that to Grievous. I have the feeling he won't be impressed." I said.

Amidala glared at me.

"Anakin, what is that bounty hunter doing on your ship?!"

Skywalker winced. I wondered how he was going to explain who I was and why I was tolerated. I did not think that Padme would feel generous towards a Sith. Not after that mess on Naboo while she was still a queen.

"Later, just get out of there."

"You have bigger problems senator." I said.

In the same moment we could see her rocking in her seat. There were even more alarms blaring in the cockpit of her transport.

"It's a tractor beam." I deadpanned. "Our cyborg friend intents to use the senator as a hostage."

"I won't be used by the likes of Grievous as a bait! Continue the attack! Destroy that monster!"

I could feel a rage awakening within Anakin's heart. He gripped his right fist so hard that the metal of his prosthetic fingers groaned in protest. He fought with his anger and subdued it to a controllable, cold determination.

"Admiral, order all attacks stopped."

"Grievous will use this opportunity to repair the hyperdrive." I said.

"What would you have me do, Sith?! Destroy the cruiser while Padme is on it?" Anakin snapped at me.

"I propose that we go with plan 'B'." I calmly declared.

"And what is that?" asked Kenobi who looked relieved that I was not baiting Skywalker.

I pointed behind my back at the smoking Malevolence.

"We go over there, save your girlfriend and deal with Grievous the old fashioned way."

"Padme... She... She's not my girlfriend!" Anakin spluttered.

Then he headed towards the exit and I followed suit. It was time to see if Skywalker was all that he was hyped out to be.

"And where are you two going?" asked Kenobi.

I could sense a tiny bit of forlorn hope that Anakin was not about to do something dangerously stupid. That was promptly dashed.

"Someone has to save her."

"And I have an appointment with Grievous."

"I knew you'd said that." Kenobi muttered and followed us.

Behind us Master Koon showed his pessimistic side.

"I am afraid that they are making a terrible mistake."

The last thing I heard from the bridge was Asoka's voice:

"Master Skywalker's brainstorms are an acquired taste. You'll get used to it. Hopefully..."

**=RK=**

"Skywalker, you need a new ship." I groaned when we ended in the cockpit of the Jedi's flying scrap pile. What is it with an ugly rust buckets and 'heroes' in this universe?!

"Well, it flies..." trailed off Kenobi. He apparently wanted to defend the choice of personal ship that his former apprentice had made but the words refused to exit his mouth once he carefully looked around. "Anakin, the last time this thing at least looked barely space-worthy."

"What can I say, master? These things happen."

"Only to you Anakin. Only to you. I gather that you have a plan?"

I smiled at the banter between master and apprentuce but it was short lived. It reminded me about one of the few regrets Darth Vael had. The Sith had never taken an apprentice, which in a sense was the ultimate test for one of my kind.

"In fact, I have."

"And a plan B?"

"And a C and D? Having contingency plans is important, Skywalker."

"I don't have yet. Why don't you two grouchy old men figure it out while I get us to that cruiser?"

"You, know Kenobi. It's your fault." I smiled at the older Jedi.

Said "elderly" man slumped in his chair.

"So they keep telling me." he grumbled. "Where did I go wrong?" he asked of the heavens.

'Where do I start?' I thought.

**=RK=**

The Force was with us. That is the only explanation why the first part of Anakin's plan went flawlessly. We just flew to the Malevolence and docked to an airlock in a sector of the ship where the sensors were down. We did not get noticed by one of the thousands of droids crewing the leviathan. If we were somewhere else I would have said that it was pure luck.

Kenobi agreed with me. He also didn'tt like Anakin's piloting. That was captured spot on in the movies. The boy was crazy.

We exited Skywalker's scrap pile and found ourselves in a small elevator. Most of the floors to which it led were blocked by debris or fires. We headed upwards and when the elevator stopped on one of the upper decks and the doors opened we were greeted by a pair of unarmed B-1 droids.

To my surprise, the robots really bantered just like in the cartoon.

"I knew it! It's them!" said one of the machines while it was carefully stepping back.

"Oh, no! There are three of them this time!" added the other, which was waving its hands in resemblance of panic.

The Jedi make a short work of the unfortunate synthetics and we raced down a long hall. The side corridors were blocked, so for the moment we didn't have much choice in picking up our direction.

We had ran couple of hundred meters from the elevator when Skywalker's comm started beeping.

"Master, we have found the Senator. I am patching you through."

Skywalker's flame was on one of the lower levels. While I listened to the exchange between the married couple I wondered how no one besides Palpatine figured out that those two were madly in love. I could hear it in the inflection of their voices. The way Anakin's aura flared protectively when he spoke with (or about) the senator while she was in trouble.

My lips twitched with amusement. Amidala was not glad that we were here to rescue her if the angry shouting was anything to go by.

The lovebirds finally agreed that we should meet into a big open space that was detected by Ahsoka in the middle of the dreadnought. Few minutes and five unfortunate droids later we were overlooking an internal monorail system which had multiple levels. Not too bad way to move a vast quantities of supplies and spare parts quickly but to me it looked like that the empty space in that compartment was too big for the task. Perhaps if it was used to transport more vulture droids or other vehicles it would not be such a waste of space.

Finally Anakin decided to use his Jedi senses and confirmed that Padme was nearby. Considering that beside us and Grievous, she was probably the only other living sentient being on the super cruiser, it should not have been hard to sense her position. I shook my head in exasperation and pointed to a corridor on the other side of the monorail tunnel. Then I cringed seen Amidala's companion. It was the contender for second place in the race for most annoying being in the galaxy. C-3PO. I started crafting plants for disposing of goldenrods. If Padme really needed a protocol druid I probably should find her a nice HK model which could mask as such.

Kriff it! I was starting to miss Darth Vael's faithful companion HK-117. I wondered if by any chance its data core has survived the millennia.

I should have known better. There was no way for those two lovebirds to reunite without drama. A squad of B-1 droids choose that moment to appear behind Amidala. The husband and life had just laid eyes upon each other when Padme had to duck under not particularly accurate blaster fire. She was forced to abandon her position and jump on a speeding train. The annoying droid stumbled after her and fell on another of the loaded transports.

The two Jedi activated their lightsabers and started jumping all over the trains speeding on the monorails. I drew my heavy blaster pistols and followed suit. I never understood why most force users did not carry at least a pistol as a backup weapon. You never knew when you needed to take out something at range and there are some things resistant to the Force.

Another group of clankers showed at one of the corridors overlooking the monorail. One of their numbers was dumb enough to shoot at the Jedi and was promptly blown away by its returned blaster bolts. The apparent leader of the squad said something that suspiciously sounded like 'I told you so!'.

Those were its last words, because a second later a hail of bolts shot from my blasters demolished it and its remaining companion. My weapons, which were designed to take out heavily armored troopers made short work of the mass produced cannon fodder.

Then I was jumping over the carts of a speeding train, which were loaded with various crates. I was submerged in the Force, using it to guide me to a safe course.

Soon enough I caught with the Jedi just in time to see Amidala jumping from the train she was riding. I noticed that the monorail it was ridding was a blown up in front of it, making it a twisted, burning wreck.

Anakin plucked his wife from mid-jump and guided her to his embrace using the Force. I had a good vantage point to watch the cuddling couple when I landed on the wagon behind them.

From above them Kenobi shouted that he was going after the golden droid. A waste of time in my opinion.

Anakin was about to kiss Padme and give me a bit of blackmail material when Obi-Wan interrupted them. The damn protocol droid was in a trouble. Fatal I hopped.

That was not the only snag. Kenobi had overheard droids talking about the hyperdrive. Soon the Malevolence would have operational FTL and this whole exercise would be for nothing. The Jedi Master, who was closer to the hyperdrive told us that he'll deal with it.

"Skywalker, get your girlfriend to safety. I'm going to assist Kenobi. With any luck Grievous will be there."

I left the married couple behind and ran back to the monorail tunnel. If the scans taken by the fleet were accurate, I could reach the FTL engine by passing through there. It appeared to be the shortest way from my position.

**=RK=**

Today was my lucky day. Or as the folks around here say 'The Force is with me!'. I didn't have to fight my way to the one of the best guarded locations on the ship. Shortly after I came back in the tunnel I saw a train heading my way from the side of the cruiser where the FTL was located. Obi-Wan was on it. And Grievous was chasing him. The cyborg had a light saber in each hand and was demolishing the containers that stood in his way. I raced towards my prey.

Grievous had Kenobi cornered on the train engine when I reached them. I vaulted over to the high tech locomotive just as the Jedi jumped away. For the first time since finding myself in this universe I drew my lightsaber from its hiding place. Gripping its curved handle gave me a measure of comfort I had not felt in a long time. I grinned maliciously and pressed my weapon's activation button. With an angry hiss a crimson blade snapped to life. It had the color of freshly spilled blood.

**=RK=**

**Part 3**

**Malevolence**

**Ryndellian Sector, near Naboo Star System**

"Who are you?" growled Grievous.

The cyborg was looking at the newcomer through narrowed eyes. Many things may be said about the being who was the best commander in the Separatist's military. While very few of them were flattering, there was one thing on which both allies and enemies agreed upon was that he was an accomplished warrior. There were few beings who could boast as vanquishers of multiple Jedi. Even less were the ones who were not Force sensitive. Grievous was on the top of that very short list.

Thanks to countless hours of training with Dooku and IG-109 droids, he had become an accomplished Jedi killer. That only served to enhance his ability as the Supreme Commander of the Droid army. Now he had the skills to easily handle most of the Order members, something at which the robots under his command were pathetic.

The warrior in the being that was once Qymaen jai Sheelal was why Grievous did not follow his standard modus operandi where Jedi were concerned. He could feel it in what little of his flesh remained. This masked creature he was facing was a breed apart. Then the man whose face was hidden by mandalorian mask activated his lightsaber. The General's hate filled eyes gazed at the ruby colored energy beam.

"My dear Grievous. You should recognize my kind." mocked a voice that was distorted by the armored helmet of its owner.

**=RK=**

I could feel the unrestrained might of the Force bubbling all around me. My blood sung with battle lust. And for a moment I was one with the phantom of a long dead Sith. I welcomed the sweet embrace of the Dark side and let it slide through my body. It strengthened my limbs and made my reflexes something to be envied by even a cyborg as Grievous.

I held my blade loosely, not unlike a rapier from ages past on my homeworld.

"I've heard that you've been trained by a Makashi master, General. Let's put that to the test!" I sneered at the being which was more machine than flesh.

I surged forward. My blade sang with the sound of burning air. Grievous ran to meet me in the middle of the engine where our sabers crashed. I deflected a pair of diagonal slashes from the blue and green weapons in his hands and moved faster than the cyborg expected. I was within his guard in a blink of an eye. My left arm struck like a viper and clamped over his right wrist. That stopped a strike from his blue blade which was about to took off my head. My Force enchanted muscles and the cybernetic strength of Dooku's pet monster strained against each other.

While that contest of strength was going on, the lightsabers in our free hands were locked in a game of their own. Energy flashed between our blades as they struck each other with the unmistakable sound of lightsabers locked in a deadly struggle.

For few seconds it seemed that our raw physical strength was evenly matched. Technology held its ground against flesh empowered by the mystic power of the Force. However this was not a fair fight fought in a tournament circle.

Our stalemate was ended by a crate that flew from the cart behind the train engine and swept away the cyborg's legs. Thanks to the racked the machines racing all over the monorails around us made, Grievous had no chance to hear how the container separated from the stack on which it was secured and moved directed by my will.

"Argh!" shouted the General.

He found himself falling backwards assisted by an empowered kick which I delivered to the center of his torso. I could hear a faint hiss of pain emanating under his mask as the sack containing his few remaining organs was rattled by my strike.

Grievous found himself in a heap at the back of the cart right behind the engine. He had landed in a bunch of crates, few of which toppled over him. I followed with a Force enchanted jump. The momentum of the train speeding away under me added to my closing velocity with the general.

While I was in mid-air, the cyborg roared in defiance and used his synthetic limbs to throw away the containers under which he was buried. One of them was heading my way and it shattered over a cocoon of Force energy which I had formed around me to counter something similar.

Grievous jumped on his feet to meet me. My crimson blade few in an arc towards the rising cyborg. My weight and momentum combined with his unsteady stance into an unstoppable force which battered through his crossed lightsabers. His right hand was separated just below the shoulder plating protecting the Separatist's commander and flew away from the moving train.

However, the loss of a limb didn't slow him down. My charge had me out of balance and I had to duck under a sweeping strike from his remaining weapon. The Force screamed a warning and I was barely able to cross my hands in front of my chest as he kicked me as only a machine could. The durasteel armguards protecting my hands groaned under the sudden strike that fell over them. I was thrown back by the attack and was staggered when my flight was interrupted by a stack of crates which shook by my impact.

"I will kill you slowly for this!" snarled Grievous and lumbered in my direction.

I snapped my left arm in a well-practiced motion and a pair of darts with a micro Ion energy cell within shot at the approaching General. His lightsaber flashed in front of him and to my surprise, Grievous managed to intercept on of the missiles which sparkled as it was slicked in two.

It was not enough. The other flew true and struck him on the right side of the armored torso. Disruptive Ion energy was unloaded in his entrails and Grievous screamed like a damned soul. He waved his left arm madly as if trying to smite an invisible assailant. Small electrical discharges ran over his armored bulk and he shook as if being electrocuted. I guess what was happening to him was similar enough.

A grappling hook shot from his left hand and, by accident or design, latched on the underside of one of the monorails that were overhead. I didn't think that he was acting consciously but that did not matter. His body was picked up by the taunt metal wire attached to the grappling hook and he flew away from the train which was carrying me in the opposite direction. Before I could think things through I had thrown my lightsaber at the departing cyborg. The crimson blade hissed through the air and was guided unerringly by my will.

The train on which I was on choose that moment to take a slight turn to the right and enter a tunnel. I lost sight of my target and my concentration wavered.

"Kriffing machine!" I roared in anger while doing my best to keep my lightsaber from smashing into something.

The train engine felt my wrath as it caved in as if struck by a giant hammer. Emergency brakes activated and I had to draw on the force to keep myself upright as the cart on which I was lurched to a sudden stop.

I jumped in the air and headed to the back of the train. I had to nearly kneel as I moved over the wagons which were at the back of the open carts. The tunnel ceiling was that low. I vaulted over the last wagon and my feet struck the monorail line. Thanks to the emergency stop, the computer controlling the train system had stopped feeding energy in it. What power that still remained in it washed harmlessly over my well isolated armor. It was nothing compared to Sith lightning and my protections were designed to blunt the attacks of some of the most powerful Sith that existed in my time.

You gotta love genius engineers and well applied Sith Alchemy.

I ran over the monorail line back to the transport hub. To my irritation I could see no sign of Grievous.

"Lucky kriffin' bastard!" growled in barely restrained rage.

The Dark side was whispering sweet, seductive suggestion in my ears. It would have been so easy and satisfying to let myself be controlled by my fury. It promised me power and invulnerability. I sneered at the dark seductress and wrestled control from its influence. I knew those whispers for the lie they were. I was NOT a common rabble that would be enslaved by the Dark side's desires! It was mine to control! Not the other way around!

The Force twisted in a cloud of living shadows around me while I reasserted control over my feelings. The fury subdued to a simmering pool of anger and I could think clearly again. The Force gradually calmed down around me and I used it to guide me towards my lost lightsaber.

I found it down below, half hidden by the shadows cloaked bottom of the monorail hub. The low light vision mode of my helmet and its zoom function helped me see the hilt of my blade. Dozen meters away I could also see something that looked suspiciously like the right foot of Grievous. By the Force, I had taken another piece of that bastard! He should be easy to track down and dispose as crippled as he was now! After a nice long chat about all of the Separatists secrets he knew, of course. I was not foolish enough of discard such valuable intelligence source if it was possible to capture and interrogate him.

I levitated my saber to my outstretched right hand and was about to start searching in the Force for the running General when Obi-Wan called me. I cursed myself for a bloodthirsty fool! I had forgotten all about the Jedi who had let me deal with the local Boogie Man by myself. I had been so focused on my prey that I didn't pay attention to anything else. Talk about tunnel vision...

"Veil! I am with Skywalker and the Senator! We are heading to the Shadow! Anakin set the Malevolence on course towards a nearly moon! You have only few minutes to get over here before it's too late! "

Fucking Jedi!

"Negative! I have Grievous on the run! It is unlikely that we'll have such a good chance to deal with him any time soon. I'm going after him. You'll have to pick me up from one of the hangers when I've dealt with him." with that I cut the comm.

On a whim, I wasted few more seconds to retrieve the cut off foot of the General. If Grievous got away because of Skywalker's stunt I was going to beat that young, impulsive bastard unconscious with that piece of scrap.

**=RK=**

I was running through debris ridden corridors hot in pursuit of the Separatist Army's Supreme Commander. My progress was slowed down by groups of droids which were vectoring to intercept me. In the beginning of the chase, that was not a problem. The squads of three or four B-1 droids couldn't even slow me. They wouldn't have been a credible treat even if they could shoot straight. I wondered who in their right mind would produce "battle" droids without giving them adequate targeting algorithms and optics. Or even better a build in dedicated targeting computer. It was harder to deflect their wildly scattered fire back to the unlucky little buggers than it would have been if they were accurate shots! Talk about ironies...

As I said the B-1 were just an entertaining sideshow. The small part of me that was still a fanboy was giddy at the thought that I was cutting apart Star Wars robots! Even the shadow of Darth Vael approved of that. But the comic relief was soon replaced by groups of advanced battle droids. You know them – two meter tall, heavily armed and armored behemoths. They rained fire upon me with their fist-mounted dual repeating blasters.

While those things, at least at the numbers I was facing, were not even a moderate threat, they were slowing me down nonetheless. It wouldn't do for me to get careless or overly arrogant and get myself shot. I believed that my armor and shield, which I had not bothered to activate yet, would provide at least moderate protection against modern weaponry but I was not going to risk it. From what I've seen on this ship, the weapon's performance was average for mid-range gear from my time. However that was against the materials I've seen on the Malevolence. I had no idea how it stacked against what was used four thousand years ago. And the few B-1 I blew up with my blasters were not a particularly good test. It was obviously that those things were mass produced models which were build to be as cheap as possible.

I turned around a corner and ran in the middle of a quartet of Super Battle droids. For a split second I stared in the photoreceptors of one of the silver killing machines. Then all hell broke loose.

My lightsaber roared to life and I stabbed at the red eye of the machine that was glaring malevolently at me. My lightsaber swirled to the left and cut its way through the armored bulk of the dying droid. On its way to then next target if sliced in half the right arm of the robot I just dispatched. The second droid was bisected through the waist and its torso slid to the ground before the first two machines of the quarter, the ones I had ran past as I dashed around the corner could turn around.

One of the remaining Super Battle Droids tried to backhand me with its left arm. I ducked under the strike and planted my blade in the center of the offending machine. I moved my lightsaber upward on a ninety degree angle leaving a melted hole in the synthetic. I immediately followed with a diagonal slash which cut the last robot in two. I spun around and ran down the corridor.

The next thing that tried to stop me were a pair of destroyer droids. I could hear them approaching as they were rolling my way. They unfolded in an intersection which was in my way and were joined by four squads of B-1's. Before the dangerous machines could activate their shields I rewarded their determination to keep Grievous away from me. The moment I heard the Droideka's approaching I had prepared a pair of grenades. I lobed the Ion one at the crossroad second before it was reached by the droids. When they saw it, it was too late to do anything.

"Ouch." said one of the B-1 which had its head painted yellow. Some kind of command unit I think.

That was its last thought before a powerful Ion pulse overloaded their circuits. The still forming defensive barriers of the Droidekas were no match for the energy wave and they slumped to the ground while lightning tendrils were arcing all over them. My second grenade put a stop to that when it detonated, its blast wave and shrapnel shredding the machines. The two destroyer droids were wracked by few internal explosions as well.

**=RK=**

I reached the destination of the General's flight. I found him on the other end of a large hangar that was filled with wrecked vultures, droids and various burning debris. He was carried by a pair of Super Battle droids toward a fighter that looked like something straight out of a pulp science fiction from the middle of the previous century.

I waved my right hand and a piece of smoking metal which was lying near the General's fighter shot at the Separatist's Commander and his helpers. It swept their legs from under them and the trio fell in a heap on the ground. I sent a wave of telekinetic force at a pair of B-1's who tried to stop me while chattering about how doomed they were. The flimsy synthetics hit a nearby bulkhead with enough force to splatter them all over it.

Smiling under my mask I headed towards Grievous, who was shouting to his henchmen to help him. At a mental command, a blaster flew from my belt to my left hand and I opened fire on the two SB droids. Those were made from sterner stuff. My shots boiled craters in their armor but that did not deter them. One picked up the General and headed towards the fighter while the other moved in my direction and started providing covering fire.

I activated my lightsaber and weaved a barrier between myself and the killer robot. I continued to shoot at it and after a dozen hits on its chest plate the armor gave away. Its shining, silver chassis was a melted ruin by that point. My next two blaster bolts exploded within its chasis wrecking its internal components. The SB droid fell face down on the deck like a cut down tree.

I ran forward towards my quarry and I was shooting at Grievous and its last guard all the way. Energy bolts rained all over them. The cyborg screamed obscenities after the robot helping him few to the ground when I hit its knee joints from behind. I was already anticipating the face to face chat I was about to have with the Separatist commander when the Force screamed a warning to me.

Only a frantic roll to the right which led me behind a big piece of a blown up ship saved me from being torn to pieces by the concentrated fire of four vulture droids. The bloody fighters were in their walker configuration and advancing my way. Their wing had separated in two stick like legs and the droid fighters were doing their best to take me out.

"Damn it I should start paying attention! That is the hangar of a Separatist ship! Of course there will be vultures inside!" I grumbled to myself. I was acting impulsively without thinking through my actions. It was good think that Skywalker was not around to see me! The kriffing Jedi would have had a field day at my expense after the chat we had earlier.

I looked around to see what I had to work with. There were a lot of debris and remains of unlucky fighters. My attention was grabbed by a vulture droid which was smashed by a fallen crane. I smiled. I closed my eyes and concentrated. The totaled fighter droid moved carried by invisible strings. Its twisted frame gave a protesting groan when I picked it up and used it as a battering ram against its operational brethren. I propelled it with enough velocity to crumble on impact with the leading walker which was coming too close for comfort.

The machines smashed in each other with scream of twisting metal. They fell over a large cluster of burning debris. Sparks and flames danced over their broken open frames and found their way to the solid pellets of fuel with which the vultures operated. If the energy source was not being used to feed the engines of the droid that was operational mere moments ago, the flames might not been hot enough to cause a chain reaction. But as things stood they were the last ingredient needed for a colorful explosion. The impressive detonation threw the remaining three vultures to the deck.

That was my cue to act. I threw ion grenades at the two farther machines and jumped to the closer one. I ignited my lightsaber while in the air and landed on the frame of the droid next to its head. It tried to turn its cannons towards me but I put my blade to good use and stabbed it in his electronic brain. It took only a second for my laser sword to drill through the armor.

I glanced at the other two vultures. They were temporary incapacitated. That was good enough for the moment. Then I looked at where Grievous and his fighter used to be. Only the crippled Supper Battle droid was there. And it was crawling towards me.

That fucking tin can escaped, damn it all to hell!

The fury was back in full swing. I glared at the droid which had helped Grievous to escape and flung my right hand at it. It rose in the air with its limbs flailing uselessly around. I made a gripping motion with my fist and its arms and legs became taut. One by one its limbs were twisted away from the struggling machine. When only its torso remained the robot gave off a piteous whine before being squashed into a football sized sphere.

I let the useless clump of metal to hit the ground and redirected my attention to the disabled vulture droids. I vent my anger on them next by cutting them to pieces with my lightsaber. I, at least, was sane enough to be careful not to ignite their fuel.

**=RK=**

What got me out of my snit was the voice of Kenobi who wanted to know where the hell I was. I cut at a dismembered droid one last time and answered.

"I am in one of the hangars. Grievous got away."

"We have a lock on your signal. We'll be there shortly. The Malevolence is about it hit the moon."

"Understood." I grumbled.

I could feel slight vibrations in the deck. The ship was too close for comfort to the planetoid if the armored bulk of the leviathan was shuddering.

At least the Jedi didn't let me to hang and the Twilight entered the hangar in high speed. I rushed to get on board and Skywalker got us away just as the super cruiser was entering the upper layers of the thin atmosphere of the moon. At full speed.

The leviathan struck the moon with enough force to wreck a continent. It left behind a fireball that easily reached orbit. I wondered if the impact would be sufficient to cause enough tectonic upheavals and shatter the moon...

**=RK=**

**Part 4**

**Kenobi's command ship Negotiator**

**Ryndellian Sector, near Naboo **

Kenobi was out of the hook. While I dealt with Grievous he had made a sensible decision and went to disable the hyperdrive. The one I had a bone to pick up with was Skywalker. The Malevolence was dead in the water. Damaged and without FTL it was ripe for the taking.

A Sith, a bunch of Jedi and the clone ground troops assigned to the three star destroyers which were bombarding the dreadnought. Even if we did not receive additional reinforcements it should have been enough to capture the Separatist's flagship. By itself, the super cruiser was a great prize, not to mention its propaganda value. As it were, I hoped that at least Grievous would be out of action for some time. However unless my Ion dart caused more damage than I suspected all the cyborg needed were some spare parts. To make matters worse, I didn't think that the Separatist general would be dumb enough to face me alone again. For our next meeting he'll probably have at least few squads of those elite droids seen in ROTS.

"Skywalker! Tell me what exactly were you thinking when you sent that cruiser at the moon?" I asked after we landed and disembarked.

"The ship needed to go," he shrugged.

"Please tell me that you were out of comm reach from Kenobi and did not know that the hyperdrive was totaled?"

"Our communications were disrupted by jamming. I was only able to speak with Anakin shortly before we met near the Twilight. Why?" asked Obi-Wan.

"Well, with the FTL taken out the Malevolence would have made a nice prize. Even if the ship itself was beyond repair it still could be sent to the breakers. You saw how big it was. Even if it was only used as raw materials, it could have provided enough for a whole new fleet."

The pair of Jedi looked at each other. Apparently neither of them thought about that.

"That's a good point." said Amidala. "Who you are anyway?"

I honestly forgot that we were not officially introduced.

"Delkatar Veil at your service, Senator Amidala." I gave her a courteous bow.

Who said that we Sith had no manners? We just picked carefully to whom we showed any kind of respect!

"It's a pleasure. Did you really fight that monster Grievous to standstill as Master Kenobi said?" she asked curiously.

I grinned under my mask.

"Really, Kenobi? Do you have so little faith in me?" I asked and retrieved the cyborgs foot which I had secured at the small of my back.

I showed them my souvenir.

"He lost an arm and a leg but got lucky and escaped."

They stared at the piece of the cyborg. If I am not mistaken so far no one on the Republic's side had managed to even scratch the local Boogie Man.

"Ah. That's certainly impressive." mumbled Obi-Wan.

I could see it in his eyes. His estimate of my combat abilities had risen dramatically and with it the potential threat I presented.

"I just hope that with Grievous is disabled for the time being, so there so there might be a lull in the war." as she spoke the former Queen had a faraway look in her eyes.

"It's unlikely. The Separatists have other somewhat competent generals. Besides he is mostly machine now. All he'll need are some spare parts and few repair droids." I had to be the voice of the common sense. The CIS was on the offensive right now and it had strategic surprise on its side. There was no reason for them to slow down their attacks.

"Unfortunately Veil is correct, Senator." said Kenobi. He was one of the best generals the GAR had and knew the situation better than me.

Amidala looked at me with thoughtful expression.

"You appear to have a firm grasp of the strategic situation." she said and frowned. "I did not expect to see a Jedi with such an interesting outfit. You look more like a mercenary than an Order member, Master Veil."

"Why, thank you, Senator. I am certainly no Jedi. You could say that in this day and age I am a mercenary with a contract to fulfil."

Padme raised her delicate eyebrows in surprise.

"He says that someone hired him to take out Dooku and Grievous." said Anakin.

"That is not a wise thing to do. Many powerful Jedi had tried and failed. What makes you think that you'll succeed?" asked the former queen.

While her dislike for mercenaries was evident, I could sense honest curiosity and exasperation. If it was not for the cyborg's foot I brought as a trophy she would undoubtedly thought me a fool with a deathwish.

"Precisely because I am not a Jedi, Senator. They are peacekeepers. I am a soldier trained in the art of war. In order to win a conflict such as the one the Republic had found itself a different mindset is needed." I said with conviction.

"And what is that?! To bomb innocent civilians?! Take over neutral worlds? Do you want us to become as bad as the Separatists?" Amidala growled at me.

Joy. I was pushing her buttons without even realizing it.

"Bombing civilians, unless they are unfortunate enough to live near strategic objectives? No. That is usually counterproductive. It simply creates more resistance. From what I've seen since my arrival, Senator is the simple fact that the Republic has the better army and the Separatist possesses the better generals. As things stand, even if your side wins, it will be over mountains of bodies and oceans of blood. All you'll have in the end will be a long list of shattered and poisoned worlds."

She looked away.

"There are already too many such worlds." Padme muttered.

Anakin placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"We'll stop them, Padme."

She gave him a small smile then her piercing gaze returned back to me.

"Veil, you said your victory. You are not on the side of the Republic, are you?"

"I am merely an enemy of Dooku and some of the CIS leadership. That does not mean that I have any loyalties or love for your side, Senator. I am, however, available for hire."

Little did I know how my last words would came back to bite me in the ass.

"So, a mercenary with flexible morals?" she asked.

"You have no idea." muttered Anakin.

"I am who I am, Senator Amidala. If the Republic declines my services, well it's their loss." I left the group with these parting words.

**=RK=**

Master Plo Koon watched the strange ancient Sith as the man was eating in the mess hall while reading from a datapad. For the time being the Council had decided to let Kenobi handle the newcomer. For the foreseeable future, the younger Jedi Master's fleet was to be an operational reserve so with any luck the Sith would be contained for the time being. That would give them time to observe this Delkatar Veil and get accustomed to the presence of one of his kind who was not overly hostile. At least that was the plan.

The old Jedi wondered if the Force had other ideas.

For Koon, the existence of a Sith as Veil was a contradiction of everything he knew about them. Was Delkatar one of a kind or were the records in the Jedi Temple overly biased? Or perhaps this man was just biding his time and playing them for a fools...

No matter how much he meditated, Plo could not pierce the shadows obscuring the Force and thus the future. All he got was a vague sense that Veil won't be danger for them unless provoked.

All he really knew was that the presence of that man had made the maelstrom that were the Clone wars even more chaotic and complicated.

Of course what Veil would consider a provocation no one really knew...

**=RK=**

**Chancellor office**

**Coruscant**

"I see, Commander. It was fortunate that Senator Amidala was saved by our Jedi friends. But what is this I hear about a mercenary's involvement with that sordid business on the Malevolence?"

"By all accounts, the Senator was saved by Masters Kenobi, Skywalker and a mercenary named Delkatar Veil. Furthermore that man was able to wound Grievous and even took his leg as a trophy." came the reply from the Republic Intelligence agent.

"Fascinating!" muttered the chancellor.

He had received report from Grievous who claimed that an unknown man, who was wielding a crimson lightsaber had taken him apart. It was that mercenary. The Sith Lord wondered how a fallen Jedi could have become an apparently successful bounty hunter without his knowledge. Or was that man trained by one of the few independent groups of force welders? Yes that was the most likely answer. It's not like the Jedi would have left on of their rogues go free if they had anything to say about it.

That needed investigating. He wondered how best this new element could be used. Palpatine smiled. The man had helped save that troublesome girl, Amidala. His former queen had a penchant for getting in and out of sticky situations. Perhaps that was something he could use. Besides he needed more information about the mercenary...

Sidious snarled in exasperation. If it was not for that new shadow in the Force that was obscuring most of even his vision he would know more about this stranger. He wondered if the mercenary had anything with the disturbance in the Force but dismissed the idea. Someone powerful enough to cast such a shadow would not play such a petty little games!

**=RK=**

**Republic cruiser ****Negotiator**

**Hyperspace**

I spent the next week as a guest on Kenobi's flag ship while the Jedi general and his forces were acting as a reserve force, one among many which were discouraging an attack on Kamino. It was obvious what the Jedi were up to but I didn't mind it for the moment. I used the time to good effect. A lot was spent meditating (yes Sith do it on occasion, especially when we want to straighten up our minds) and getting more comfortable with the mental aspect of the memories and skills I received courtesy of Darth Vael.

The rest of the time I was either buried under datapads as I was catching up on current events or speaking with Kenobi. We were often seen arguing about the difference between the Jedi and the Sith as well as discussing tactics and strategy. Say what you will about Vael but he was an accomplished general and some of his skill had rubbed on me.

Right now we were discussing the consequences of my suggestion to Skywalker when the headstrong young Jedi refused to pull back his forces from Bothawui. When I heard that he was about to ambush Grievous ( who had recovered as fast as I predicted and was leading the Separatist offensive with a vengeance) in an asteroid belt, I gave him the idea to seed the expected battlefield with whatever charges he's fleet had in stock. He had done that in addition n to placing combat walkers on some of the bigger asteroids and using them as artillery platforms.

The improvised mines and the asteroid fragments thrown in all directions by them had shredded the shields on the majority of the Separatist fleets and even damaged some of their frigates. This ambush left CIS ships open for a hammer blow from Skywalker's cruisers and the walkers which had a field day with the enemies who had lost their defensive fields. The enemy formation had shattered and Grievous had fled leaving his dying fleet behind. That was one of the greatest GAR victories in the war so far. To make it even sweeter the only Republic's losses were couple of dozen fighters and score of walkers with their crews. That was a bargain price for a whole fleet. The only thing that might have made it better was if when the cyborg fled, Anakin was not too busy dealing with a swarm of vulture droids to follow and take out the bastard.

"That was a great idea! Without the mines, Anakin's men would have easily suffered at two or three times more casualties. With his novel use of the walkers his forces would have most likely won anyway but they would have been mauled in the process.

"It worked well enough." I shrugged. "Skywalker controlled the flow of the battle because Grievous had to come to him if he wanted to assault the world. It's not like he could ignore such a force at his back. Not when he needed to invade the planet instead of bombing it back to the Stone Age.

"Certainly. Anakin's cruisers were perfectly capable to execute an attack run while Grievous was busy sending his troops down to the planet. It would have wrecked the Venators, but it would have gutted the ground component of the CIS forces. While Grievous's fleet was formidable it simply did not have the firepower to stop the cruisers before it was too late."

"Yeah. While we are talking about Skywalker, pray tell, how long has your former apprentice been in love with the delectable senator?"

My question was carefully timed so Kenobi was just taking a sip of Caf when it registered what I was asking him. He spluttered, spraying black liquid all over the small table around which we were sitting.

"Sith spit! What are you talking about?!" he exclaimed.

"First, you are the one spitting. And second it's obvious. Don't give me that. You were his master for how long?! A decade? More? There is no way you do not recognize it for what it is." I smiled at him and awaited answer.

Amidala and Kenobi were the keys to keeping Anakin from becoming Vader and I did not need or want to deal with Skywalker going on the deep end. So I decided to proceed with my tentative plans for changing the Jedi and naturally I started with my minder.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**Phase 03: Mercenary**

**=RK=**

**Republic cruiser ****Negotiator**

**Hyperspace**

I should work on my presentation. I almost gave Obi-Wan a BSOD. Perhaps the next time... But I digress. The Jedi sitting across the table from me, had a shocked expression on his face and a faraway look in his eyes. It was obvious he was thinking about all the little things that should have rang a warning bell in his head as far as the interaction between those two were concerned.

I decided that it was best to play ignorant. The outraged part about practically stealing children from their families needed no acting from me; by the Force even the Sith did not had it institutionalized as an official policy to basically kidnap children for training! And to think that the bloody Republic just accepted that... Granted, in a lot of cases the parents were glad that their kiddies were to become Jedi... In others, well not so much.

"I gather that your reaction is based on something more than those two lovebirds putting the wool over your eyes?" I asked feigning innocence.

"That boy!" snapped Kenobi. "He has to stop it at once! He could be expelled for this!"

I raised an inquiring eyebrow.

"Isn't that a bit harsh you know? Boys being boys and girls being girls... It's not like it's the first or the last time something like that has happened. How do you think most of the force sensitive come to be? Usually the Force is not going around blessing random couples for the hell of it..."

"It's forbidden! Attachment and passion lead to the Dark side! He is too full of anger already and does not need further distraction! You saw Anakin when Grievous captured Padme on the Malevolence! If he had not suppressed his feelings..."

I snorted in disbelief. Ah, the powers of self-delusion! I wonder how the Jedi survived the last millennium like that.

"I call bantha poodoo on that! I came from an era when seducing Jedi to our side was a national sport! Let me tell you, there was not one of them who fell to the Dark side because of love! Those who had someone to be in love with were the hardest to turn! And a lot of these people came back to your precious light precisely because of that love! So don't give me that nonsense you've been spoon fed in the Temple. You can think for yourself!"

Kenobi glared at me.

"How can you say that!? Now that my eyes are opened for Anakin's indiscretion..." I chuckled at his words, "I shudder to think what he would have done if Padme was wounded or if the worst happened!"

"And what is the worst, Kenobi? That the Senator could have gotten herself killed and thus removing a temptation for your precious chosen one? Or that he might have sought vengeance? You Jedi are deluding yourselves! You are not automatons without feelings! Dismissing them only makes you weaker! Why do you think that we were so successful in turning Jedi left and right during every major conflict? Because there were always some of you who wanted to cut off your feelings and that makes your kind such easy prey! What do you think happens when one of you Jedi is confronted with what he's been so busily ignoring for his whole life?!"

I could see the gears turning in Obi-Wan's head despite his persistent glaring.

"That's not what I mean and you know it! I do not wish anything bad to happen to Senator Amidala! If we do not discard our emotions we become vulnerable! They cloud our judgment! How could we fulfill our role as guardians of the Republic's peace if we let ourselves be swayed by our feelings?"

"Kenobi, despite the short time I've known you I am well aware that you are not that thick. So stop recycling those slogans and think for yourself! How could you guard the people of this galaxy if you could not understand them? Have you ever wondered how the average citizen sees your Order and its members? I'll tell you how! You are like a scary space wizards who prompt fear and distrust. You can't cut off a vital part of what makes you a living, breathing sentient being and call it an achievement!"

"It's worked for a thousand years! The Code is the foundation of what means to be a Jedi!"

See, there?! He did not argue that many people see the Jedi in a less than a flattering light!

"Only because these new Sith were not interesting in a bunch of new recruits and decided to stay low! Your Code was not given to the Jedi by the Force itself!"

Obi-Wan looked to be deep in thought.

"No it wasn't. Yet it served us for the longest recorded period of peace!"

"A time when there was no one obvious to challenge you! And now you are playing in the hands of a Sith Lord. There are always emotions no matter if you try to discard them or not! It's one thing to achieve an inner equilibrium and not let your emotions rule you! There are other feelings that fear, hatred and rage. You know that, right?" I asked rhetorically.

"I know that!" he whispered through clenched teeth. "It's not about whether we can or not let ourselves be somewhat influenced by our emotions when not on mission! It's about the temptation! How do you cut yourself from your feelings when it counts if you do not do it all the time?!"

"You don't. You simply train yourself to be in charge of your emotions so they do not control you." I said more calmly. "And that is not a Sith idea. We had to know our enemies in order to fight them effectively. What you are doing in today's galaxy has very little in common with the Jedi of old. Find a balance that works for you while you keep your feelings. You won't fall to the Dark side by doing that. On the contrary, you'll be not only stronger for it but it will be easier to resist temptation that way."

For a long time Kenobi was silent. When he choose to speak again a wry smile appeared on his face.

"Is this the way you turn Jedi from the Order? With logic instead of threats and torture?"

"Look at me and tell me, Obi-Wan, when do you think that I fell to the Dark side? "

He gave me a dirty look.

"How in the name of the Force should I know?!"

I allow a smirk to form on my lips.

"I'll tell you a deep, 'dark' secret, Kenobi." Sarcasm was dripping from my words. "As the Jedi of my time saw it, I never fell."

Obi-Wan gave me an incredulous and disbelieving look. It seemed to say 'Yeah, pull the other one'.

"I flirt and struggle with the Dark side every day. It is a part of my existence. A never ending conflict and I am stronger for it. To fall to the Dark side is not so simple as using it and reveling in it in combat. It means being lost to her and becoming the raging beast you Jedi believe all Sith to be. The danger is that it's always there, whispering to you. She is the sweetest seductress that there is. She promises ultimate power. A chance to sate all your passions. You just have to let go and let yourself be under its sway. Well, you know what happens then. I believe that most of the scary tales you are whispering about the Sith come from people that lost that struggle. In fact most did."

Obi-Wan contemplated my words. I believe he was comparing them to what he thought he knew about the Sith. And this time actually thinking.

"How do you do it? How do you stand it?"

I sit back and give him a long look.

"It requires iron will and unwavering discipline. But neither of those are the true secret." I leaned forward and whispered. "I know that all the promises of the Dark side are lies. The way to power through it lies in subjugating it to your will and never letting it control you. For that way lies madness."

"That's not what I expected."

"Do you want me to talk about the glories of the Dark side? About how it's stronger? Heh. Neither side is stronger, Kenobi. The Dark side simply makes it easier to progress in different fields then that of the Light. Where you excel in mediation, defense and healing, the Sith are masters of warfare and destruction. It is not only our philosophies, but what natural aptitudes the different sides of the Force are more suited for. I can as easily kill as heal with my powers but with me being Dark if you will, I simply find it more draining to mend wounds than a Jedi would."

"Hmm. You've given me a lot of food for thought. I'll think about it."

"That is all I am asking. I have no intention, or need even, to turn you into a Sith. We should continue this conversation at some other time. So, pray tell what are you going to do about Skywalker?"

"That boy will be the death of me!" Kenobi groaned.

"Obi-Wan, as things are now, it does not take a genius to figure out what your Council will do with such information. They will force Skywalker to choose between his Queen and the Jedi. And let me tell you something. I've seen a lot of young men and women just like him. Both Jedi and Sith. His primary loyalties are to people, not organizations. If he is forced to choose between her and the Order, there is no contest. He'll always go to Amidala. I think that, in his mind, the loyalty to whatever Jedi friends he has is what makes him loyal to the Order. So thread carefully. He is probably the Jedi with greatest potential of this era. Do not make something happen that you'll later regret."

There was another stretch of silence as the Jedi Master digested my words. When he spoke it was with resignation in his voice.

"I've always suspected that this may be the case but hoped that he'll change as he grows older."

"What about you, Obi-Wan? What would you do? You have to choose between someone that you obviously see as your little brother and the Council. Will you betray him? Because make no mistake, if you are the one to tell them about his feelings for Amidala that's how he'll see it."

"Bastard! You planned that all along!" His right hand fell over the hilt of his lightsaber.

I gave him a cheerful smile.

"That's correct. Just not for the reasons you think. Skywalker is one of the keys for the future of both the Republic and the Jedi. With the current dumb policies of the Order, he is forced to hide his relationship with the Senator, no matter what it is. That is not something that inspires trust. In that regard, he has to see the Jedi as adversaries. What do you think will happen if the Sith Lord behind the CIS finds out about it? He'll use the feelings of those two against them. Instead of a source of great strength, as it should be, their relationship will be turned into a deadly weakness. Because Skywalker would have no one to whom he turn to for help. Don't look at me like that. Depending on how long their relationship has been going on, he might be so wary of the Jedi Council that he'll not confide in you either. Only disaster lies that way."

I stood up.

"You've a lot to think about. See you around, Obi-Wan."

**=RK=**

The next morning I was awoken by a grumpy Jedi Master who looked like he has not slept (or meditated) well last night.

"What did you do this time?!" That was his greeting.

"Mmm... Nothing untoward as far as I know. My gambit for galactic domination is scheduled to begin tomorrow. Why?" I wondered what that was about.

"Very funny." he deadpanned. "We just received message from the Chancellor's office. Apparently words of your exploits on the Malevolence had reached his ears. He has requested your services for a mission."

Well, well. The plot thickens. Palpy had sniffed something. The question was how much he knew, what he suspected and what he thought he knew.

"Palpatine is concerned for the safety of his former queen. As you may know, he was the senator from Naboo. "

"And if the rumors I heard are true then Amidala has a knack for getting into trouble." I finished for him.

The whole thing was obviously meant to be some kind of test. Despite his "wounds" Grievous may not have been believed. Nothing like blaming a boogey man to cover your ass. And the loss of the dreadnought had to be a major sore point for the Separatists.

"So let me get this straight. The Chancellor wants me to do what? Babysit the senator?"

"In a manner of speaking. She'll be visiting the Rodian's home world before the week's end. The Chancellor wants her to either travel on board of a Republic cruiser or get herself a bodyguard. "

"What I am? The new rage amongst the politicians on Coruscant?!"

Kenobi smirked.

"So I'll have to keep Skywalker's girlfriend in one piece. If what I saw on the Malevolence is anything to go by, I'll have my hands full. I'll want additional hazard pay for this..." I muttered.

My mind was busy calculating and discarding plans. Keeping such a high profile politician in one piece would do wonders for my reputation. With the war going on if I wanted my own command from the ranks of the GAR (one of my primary plans for dealing with the mess counted on such a developments) that was something I'll need. Especially considering the fact that as things stood the Jedi would do their damned best to block such an idea. I needed friends in high places both within the Senate and the GAR high command.

If this was during a peace time I would not have considered such a course of action. Sidious would have the deck totally stacked against me. But there was no peace to be found. And I had the knowledge of a good Sith general. This conflict presented a lot of opportunities.

This was the opening move of the great game between me and Sidious. I felt a shiver of anticipation run down my spine. After all the prize was nothing less than the galaxy itself.

**=RK=**

**Part 2 **

**High orbit**

**Coruscant**

Arriving at Coruscant was achieved with a fighter that was loaned to me. My craft exited hyperspace in the outskirts of the star system containing the Republic's capital world. Call me paranoid but I preferred to take it nice and slowly instead jumping near Coruscant, around which the space was usually cramped with both military and civilian traffic. A Venator which was patrolling the part of the system in which I emerged from FTL, hailed and scanned my ship. The comm officer directed me to one of the defense stations orbiting the capital world of the Republic. I was instructed to refuel there and meet the transport carrying Senator Amidala sometime later. He also gave me the coordinates for a military staging area in high orbit of Coruscant, where I was to meet Padme.

After I landed on a Golan I station, my Torrent was checked up by a group of clone engineers while a pair of droids refueled it. I chatted up a bit with the technicians while they were going over my craft. As expected they knew a lot of rumors but nothing I thought was credible expect the obvious preparation of another Republic fleet before it was sent to the frontlines.

I was out of the cockpit to stretch my legs a bit while looking over the various small craft and transports landed in the dock. They had teams of engineers scurrying all over them. I turned to the entrance, where through the soft bluish glow of the force field containing the atmosphere I could see Coruscant. To tell you the truth, despite the memories of Darth Vael, which made me take space travel for granted, the sight was incredible. There was nothing in my previous experience that prepared me to see the planed turned in one giant city. The sight was made even more awe-inspiring because the station was holding orbit over the dark side of the world. And the surface was blazing with countless lights. What I've seen from Earth from orbit could not hope to compare with this sight. I wondered how many billions made their homes upon the world strewn bellow me.

If looks were anything to go by, Coruscant was a fitting place for the seat of the government that ruled most of the galaxy. It was too bad that the Republic was barely functioning house of cards.

**=RK=**

Amidala decided to be a pain in the ass from the moment we spoke on the comm.

"This is a peacekeeping mission. Diplomacy is needed, not some more warmongering. I don't want any accidents! We aren't there to provoke the Rodian government or attack them! I want you on your best behavior, is that clear?!" The Senator snapped waspishly at me the moment we had established connection.

Gee. Where do I start?!

In my experience there were very few problems that could not be made to go away by attacking them. It was usually question of having a sufficient firepower to do the job. I wondered if she was pissed at me personally or I was just a convenient target for her vitriol after being overruled by Palpatine. Before leaving the Negotiator and heading here I heard Kenobi mentioning something about the Chancellor threatening to stick her with at least a platoon of clones if she persisted with her suicidal stunt. Or perhaps it was an Acclamator with a full complement of fighters and ground troops...

"Senator Amidala, this little exercise was not my idea. I'll do anything in my power to fulfill my contract which is to keep you in one piece and bring you back here alive. If that means ruffling some feathers, then so be it. Please do not forget that I am not under your command. Now, if you've finished unloading your grievances with whoever decided that I am the best man for your bodyguard onto me, are you ready to depart? I was informed that you wished to visit an old family friend on Rodia. Is that correct?"

"Yes I've known senator Farr since I was a child. His world is in crisis and his people are starving."

"Said world is in a middle of a war zone on the Outer Rim. To be honest, Senator, in order to guarantee your safety I'll need a bloody fleet but that is something you apparently refused. Most unwise in my opinion. But it's your life. Shall we head to our destination?"

**=RK=**

**Planet Rodia**

**Outer Rim**

I was glad that I had to spend the last couple of days strapped in the cockpit of the Torrent. The alternative – being stuck in one small ship with Jar-Jar Binks, wasn't something I wanted to think about.

At least it was a quiet trip because Amidala choose not to speak with me beyond the bare necessary for coordinating our course.

We exited hyperspace near the gravity well of Rodia. It was a green lush world covered by multitude of small islands and huge swamps. Almost as bad as Dagobah in that respect but at least it had some high tech cities and industry. Not to mention it wasn't a pocket death-world. Nevertheless, it was definitely somewhere that I wouldn't spent any time longer than strictly necessary by choice. While we were descending from orbit I felt a small tremor in the Force. It was a warning. As if I did not know that we were heading for some kind of trap after his Sithinesss arranged this field trip. It was not like I could accuse the Chancellor of being Sith without proof. By the Force, even if I had some kind of evidence the Jedi Council may well dismiss it as a fabrication because of what I am, and that wasn't taking into an account all the contingency plans Sidious should have in case his true identity is discovered.

The Senator's Nubian transport and my fighter arrived at a group of facilities (or were those the local towns?), that were covered by domes made of some sort of crystal. A sliding doors opened to admit our craft. I landed to the right of Amidala's ship and popped open the canopy of my fighter. To my pleasant surprise not only it was not too humid under the dome but Padme left the transport alone! She had the good sense to let goldenrod and the gungan on the ship.

She was wearing white blouse and pants, and had a purple hooded cloak hugging her shoulders. I took a position to her right and we followed the Rodian who was sent as our guide. The inside of the building looked like it was made of stone. It was a curious blend of old and high tech look that was pleasant to look at.

We were led to a courtyard surrounding a tower made from yellow metal. The Senator we met there and Padme exchanged greetings in Rodian which passed over my head. That was not a language I knew. After few pleasantries that you'd expect when someone meets an old family friend, the politicians got straight to business.

"You are talking about a friendship I could not see, Padme." said Ferr as we were walking around the tower.

I had my senses open and did not particularly like what I felt.

"Where was the Republic when our ships were decimated?! Where is it while my people are starving? We were left out here alone! Isolated without help from anyone!"

"The vote was slowed down but I can assure you, uncle Comm, you will receive the food soon!"

So Palpy was back to his old tricks in the senate. Business as usual.

"I'm sorry. It is too late."

"Oh, you will be, Senator Ferr. Do you think that the welcoming committee is strong enough?" I spoke for the first time since landing.

"Veil! You will not threaten a Republic Senator!" Amidala snapped at me.

"I am not. You are no longer with the Republic, are you, Ferr.?" The Rodian blanched at the menace contained in my voice.

He glared at me and returned his attention towards Amidala.

"I am sorry, dear. Nute Gunray, the leader of the Separatist promised us generous help. In the end I must do what is best for my people." he said while looking sad.

He proceeded to tell us how good the Neimoidian's help had been so far. Certainly much more than the far off Republic could have done considering the strategic situation. In the end, Rodia was a small world which did not amount to much when there was a galaxy spanning war raging all around us. Truth to be told, in this case I could honesty say that both sides were right. From their point of view. Ferr. was doing his duty to his people. Too bad that today it made him an enemy. Besides, the Republic had much bigger problems to deal with.

"I did what I had to. For my people's sake."

"Perhaps. It is a mistake that you may even live to regret." I smiled under my mask. I could hear the clanking of metal feet moving our way as well as sense the droids running our way.

My problem was that we were in too open a place. If I engaged here it was likely that Amidala would be hit. Time to improvise. I removed a personal shield mounted into an armband and placed it over the right hand of Padme.

"Hey! What do you think you are doing?!"

I ignored her and activated the defensive screen which snapped to life and enveloped her snugly. A bit of radiation poisoning was preferable than being blasted to pieces.

Instead of grabbing her and running away I waited. The Force whispered me that would be for the best. What little I remembered from the episode of the Clone Wars that dealt with the events that were unfolding around me meant that we needed to bide our time. An opportunity awaited that way.

We were surrounded by twenty B-1's and a couple of Super Battle droids. Most of them were pointing their weapons my way. I just grinned and gathered the Force around me. I just knew that it would be any time now...

The traitorous Rodian retrieved a palm sized disc from his robes. It was a holocomm. Over it appeared a blue hologram of an ugly (as if there was any other kind) Neimoidian who was wearing garish clothes.

"Viceroy. That's unexpected."

"You won't get away this time. We made a deal with your friend and you are an important part of it. Your henchman won't help you." croaked Gunray.

"I am sorry my dear. I had no choice in the matter."

"You are making a mistake! There is always an alternative!"

"Take her away." said Ferr.

A pair of B-1's grabbed Padme's arms and started dragging her away.

"That was a wise decision. I will be there within the hour to bring the promised supplies and collect the senator." sneered the Neimoidian.

"Kill the spare." said the overgrown toad before cutting off the connection.

I laughed. I hoped that Gunray would arrive as scheduled.

"I'm sorry." muttered the Rodian Senator before looking at the droids.

"You heard the Viceroy. Kill him."

"Roger, Roger!" answered the droids and opened fire.

**=RK=**

**Part 3**

**Rodia**

**Outer Rim**

The protective field of my energy shield enveloped me like a sheath just as Ferr ordered my murder. I held still for a fraction of a second while making sure that Amidala was distant enough from my position. Once that was done I unleashed all the Force I was gathering around my body ever since I felt the droids approaching. A sphere of invisible power exploded from me and engulfed the short droid platoon that was surrounding me. My shield absorbed the few shots that the CIS troops managed to get off before being thrown in all direction.

I watched with satisfaction how Ferr bounced off the ground and stayed down groaning. My blasters jumped from their holsters and found their way to my outstretched hands. My first two shots took off the heads of the cannon fodder that was escorting Amidala to some dingy cell. I ignored the Padme who wasted few precious second by gawking at me and then grabbed one of the weapons of her disposed of captors.

While I kept a small part of my mind occupied with tracing Padme's position, most of my attention was concentrated on taking out the robots that tried to kill me. Before the machines could recover from my surprise attack I had blown to pieces three quarters of the B-1's. Those fragile things needed only a single, well placed blaster bolt.

Only four of the mass produced irritants were left when those remaining were able to grab a weapon and return fire. It was at that time when the SB droids had recovered and unleashed hail of crimson death in my direction.

Thanks to my deep connection to the Force I knew in which direction they were aiming and where their fire was about to go. I twisted, turned and weaved around a hail of blasterfire.

Two shots turned the torso of a B-1 into a scrap. I moved my head to the left just in time to avoid getting my brains evaporated. Without looking my left hand moved and I snapped a shot behind my back. I knew it will find its mark before the blaster bolt hat left the barrel of my gun. A snap shot destroyed the weapon of another mass produced clanker. My shields whined in protest as I ducked a moment too late and was caught as one of the SB's stitched a line through the air with its repeaters.

I answered by snapping shots in its direction as fast as I could press the triggers. Seconds later its armor was a melted river running down its front and it fell like so much scrap.

A barrel roll took me from the line of fire of the remaining Super droid. Amidala's accurate fire had disposed of the last two B-1s by now. We concentrated our firepower on the last machine standing and shortly the droid caved under our onslaught.

My shield had gotten as low as fifteen percent. Not too bad for a piece of ancient technology.

A glance at Padme showed me that she was thinking on her feet. She had a communicator in her hand and was talking in it. If her droid and the bloody gungan had not destroyed the Nubian transport yet there were good chances that they'd be able to signal for reinforcements.

After checking for enemies in the immediate vicinity and founding nothing I turned to Ferr who was still moaning on the floor. I holstered my weapons and, with a gesture, had him suspended in the air in front of me.

"Senator Ferr, how good of you to wait for us."I smiled as I used just enough pressure to make him struggle for each breath. "Please tell me what Separatist forces are stationed in this facility and on the planet."

Amidala came to stand next to me.

"Uncle..." she whispered in horror. "Veil! Put him down! We are not torturing prisoners!"

"I won't hurt your friend too much if he cooperates, Senator Amidala. Besides I am not part of your precious Republic." I told her with emotionless tone. Then I tilted my armored head in the Rodian's direction. "Please resist. It will be more fun that way."

Needless to say he sang like a canary after he saw that I was serious and was ignoring Padme's threats and protests. There was additional platoon of B-1 droids with a dozen or so Super Battle droids and couple of droidekas rolling around. He also told us that there was a powerful communicator at the top of the central tower.

I let Ferr to fall to the ground where he slumped and gasped for air.

"See? That was easy. Now, Senator Amidala, if you are finished with berating me with your morality, we have to prepare for the Viceroy's arrival. But first we need to take that tower." I pointed upwards "and make sure that the remaining droids do not raise an alarm."

I waved the pissed off former queen to follow me and headed up towards the comm tower. On the way there I had to listen to her ranting about how evil were my actions. She was wearing my patience thin. I didn't really touch the guy! I just held him somewhat tight! It could not compare to Vader throwing a temper tantrum much less something that the Empire would have considered a proper interrogation.

We made a short work of the few B-1's which were guarding the comm station and after a brief chat with a Republic task force which was conveniently nearby – they'd be all over our location in one and half hours, it was time to plan the reception of Gunray. That thought cheered up Padme who had by now had her frustration and outrage under control.

**=RK=**

I waited in the shadows behind near the landing pad. A terrified Senator Ferr and a bunch of his underlings who were formed in half circle in front of the location where the Neimoidian ship was supposed to land. They had a squad of B-1s as an escort. Apparently the droids stationed here were at Ferr's disposal unless his orders conflicted with detectives given by CIS personal. Getting the show in place was surprisingly easy. Even better, all the fear that the Rodians felt after I demolished most of the droids stationed on this little piece of land would be attributed on them fearing the Separatists.

A large transport headed our way just in time. I'll give the Neimoidians that one, they knew how to be punctual. A pair of vultures were escorting the Viceroy's craft but they broke off and headed back to space. No much choice with their limited operational time. According all the Intel and hands on experience the GAR had, those droids only had fuel for thirty five minutes of flight.

The transport turned around so that its engines and the loading ramp in its back pointed towards the waiting delegates and landed. It slid to the ground revealing Nute Gunray who was escorted by a pair of B-1's and two cloaked figures. I was suddenly glad that thanks to my perpetual paranoia I was masking my presence in the Force.

"The citizens of Rodia salute you!" Ferr made a theatrical bow to Gunray.

"Yes, yes, as they should. Now where is the Senator?"

"Up in the tower."

"He is anxious. I can smell deception all over him." rasped on of the cloaked figures.

So those two were Palpatine's test. I could sense the Dark side pulsing around them. It was like an open, sore wound. Those idiots had fallen to it completely. My lips stretched in an unpleasant smile. My mind raced over the currents of the Force. It was as if I was outside my body as I looked at the Confederate transport from the side. I pushed with my will and the Force obeyed. The CIS craft shuddered. The two Dark side users looked around wildly in a search for the threat. The ship lurched to the left as I exerted my will over it. The spacecraft lifted without the help of his repulsors and was violently pushed over the side of the landing pad. There it fell in the swamp. Dirty water and almost liquid mud started leaking through its open ramp. That thing was not going to fly away any time soon.

As everyone's attention was focused on the transport's demise as a space worthy vessel, two of Ferr's retinue drew already active Ion Grenades from their clothes and threw them at the nearby robots. One was cut down by a B-1 who for a change was fast on the uptake but it was a split second too late. The Ion Grenade was already in the air.

The two Force users tried to push the explosive devices away but now that my attention was no longer on the disabled ship, I could use the Force to make their response much harder. The grenades stopped short of Gunray but were far from harmless. Their dual discharge was enough to fry all remaining droids and stopped short of the Viceroy and its special escort. The machines fell down turned into inert mass of disabled weapons and alloys.

The Rodians fared much better – they just got some light shocks and mild energy burns. That left a moaning delegation trashing on the ground and a Viceroy who looked positively ill. I headed their way.

**=RK=**

**Part 4**

**Rodia**

**Outer Rim**

I was glad that my last two Ion grenades all but finished the droids escorting Gunrey. Twenty minutes earlier I had Ferr order the all but a few of the machines stationed on this facility to gather in one place and took out the unlucky robots with most of the grenades I brought with me on for this excursion. Only the six B-1's who were used to make the welcome committee look genuine did not share the fate of their brethren. Until now.

I walked towards Gunray who was even grayer than normal thanks to his fear and the two cloaked figures who were his "escort". The Rodians, who were recovering from the shock scrambled to get away from me as I went to meet the Viceroy.

"Gunray. Fancy meeting you here. And you've brought some entertainment supplies." I nodded at his companions. "How thoughtful of you."

The men sent to test me discarded their black cloaks. When I saw them I wondered if they were really twins as they looked like or whether Sidious had some limited success with cloning force sensitives...

They were about hundred and eighty centimeters tall, with short black hair and identical goatees. The one to the left had a nasty red scar running from his right temple, pass his eye, down to the edge of his jawbone. His twin had no visible scarring on the face.

"See Karoc? He does not look like much. I am sure that Grievous fucked up against Skywalker and Kenobi." said the twin to the right.

"You saw what he did with the ship and those grenades, Vinroc. Do not underestimate him, brother."

"Doesn't matter. Our master ordered his death. So he dies. That is all, Karoc."

"You are correct, Vinroc."

Mentally unstable brothers... I wondered what else Sidious and Dooku would reveal next. Those two acted like a bad actors from an eighties B-movie.

"So, we have here Dumb and Dumber. Aren't you supposed to be Sith or something? The Jedi are all losing their heads over some supposed Sith Lord that's been running around and messing up their boring lives..."

"He mocks us brother." said the scarred one.

"That he does Karoc. We are servants of his excellency Count Dooku and members of the Dark Acolytes."

"A single Dark Jedi won't stop us! We studied the ways of the ancient Sith and were trained by Dooku himself!"

Don't you love it when the bad guys start ranting and reveal information you'd have to tear out of their bleeding bodies otherwise? The idiots who let themselves be controlled by the Dark side are no exception.

"You've learned the ways of the Sith?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. "Then by all means, show me!"

They moved around Gunray, who was hunched and looked like a terrified, wild animal.

"He wished to test himself against us, Vinroc."

"We are more than willing to oblige him, are we not, Karoc?"

They retrieved simple lightsaber hilts from the depth of their black tunics and activated the weapons which hissed revealing red blades. Karoc immediately went into a Makashi dueling stance while Vinroc fell into Soresu form. I summoned the hilt of my sword and its crimson blade ignited with an eager buzz of scorched air.

I placed my weapon in the traditional low Makashi guard stance and waved the twins to come on. The scarred one came first while his brother went to my right in a flanking move. I dashed towards Karoc, bringing my blade in a sweeping upwards strike. It was easily parried by the Dark Jedi who sneered at me. As a user of Makashi himself he was well aware of that style of combat greatest weakness – it was developed as the ultimate expression of one on one duels and suffered against two or more adversaries more than anything else.

His sneer was short-lived. I erased it from his face when I locked our blades together and pushed his sword to the left. Then I spun around while staying in place and delivered a cracking backhand hit. The armored glove covering my left hand struck him on the side of the face with enough force to send him stumbling away from me. I could see blood leaking from his mouth.

I twirled the hilt of my blade in my hand, changing my grip in a backhanded Juyo one and moved my arm upward in a frothy five degree angle to deflect a broad slash form the other twin. The fingers of my left arm twisted like claws and I made a punching motion at Vinoc's open torso. My palm was mere centimeters from his chest when I unleashed a punishing blast of pure force which threw him away as if he weighted nothing.

Battle lust sang within my heart as the Force flowed through me like a never-ending river. I ducked to the left, evading a thrust of Karoc's ruby blade. I spun again and used the weight of my body and its momentum to deliver a diagonal slash at the man who tried to skewer me from behind. The scarred twin rolled forward, passing a hairbreadth from my blade. I saw that Vinroc was still on the ground twenty meters away so I switched back to Makashi and made a beeline towards Karoc who was rising to his feet.

We met with a flurry of clashing blades and the air was filled with the scent of ozone as energy discharged between our laser swords. We exchanged short precise stabs and slashes faster than normal being's eyes could follow. Our motions were blur of crimson death waiting for the tiniest of openings. And I finally understood the love Darth Vael had for conflict and saber combat in particular. It was something I have not felt even in the most intense dogfight in either universe. Piloting a Mobile suit before finding myself here came somewhat close but still could compare to what I felt at that moment on Rodia.

The familiar weight of my lightsaber hilt, comfortably snuggled in my hand... Having the Force within my grasp and directing it to do my biding...My heart joyfully hammering within my chest... The knowledge that my very life was balanced on the edge of my bloodthirsty blade and was in my hands... For a Sith the old saying "Live by the blade, die by the blade!" had completely different meaning. It was a moment defining our existence. A conflict placing us on edge between life and death with us relaying only on our skills and cunning! It was glorious! At that moment even the ever persistent whispers of the Dark side were silent.

Blood red blades of pure energy met with a snap-hiss as I dueled Karoc. My opponent was a competent swordsman. His technique was well-trained and precise. For endless seconds he was able to hold his ground as the tip of my blade persistently probed his defenses by placing him under a downpour of feints and stabs. Then his guard was pierced and the scarred man had to jump back or be eviscerated by scorching energy.

Karoc regained his balance and smiled viciously when his brother came back to his side. They moved to flank me again and I sensed a warning from the Force. Their signatures meshed and I could see a connection being opened between the twins. Oh, boy. I knew that would prove troublesome.

From the right came a rain of precise strikes aimed at my vitals while from the left I was subjected to the wide sweeps for which Soresu was so well-known. Suddenly the brothers were acting like a well-oiled machine with a single will.

I deflected a swipe that tried to take off my left hand and side-stepped a thrust from the other side. I grasped my weapon with both hands and got into the high guard of Djem So. I jumped over a low strike aimed at my legs. On my way down my blade arched in a lethal arch towards Karoc who staggered under the force of my blow. I rotated around the out of balance twin in such a way that he was between me and his brother. The connection they shared and now used had suddenly raised their threat level. It made our little training exercise interesting.

"Good. You are finally showing some semblance of promise! Show me what you've got!"

I bent the Force around me giving me additional speed and strength. I rained blow after blow at Karoc who struggled valiantly to retain hold over his weapon. I moved in such a way as to keep him between me and his brother. I could see the frustration etched on the other twin's face as I blocked his way by interposing his sibling between us. As I got closer and closer to cutting down Karoc, his brother darted forward with a war cry emanating from his lips.

I smirked at his action. So predictable. I battered away the blade of the scarred man and fell in a crouch from where I delivered a sweeping kick that took his feet from under him. I send him tumbling away with a push of the force and twirled to meet the attack of the Soresu user. I met his slash head on and reposed after deflecting his attack by sending his blade upward. I executed my counterattack by bringing down my weapon while the twin's saber was still pointing in the air. When his attack failed and I pushed away his lightsaber he stumbled slowing his reaction for a second. It was all I needed. My blade flashed downward and took of his right hand between the elbow and the shoulder. The crippled man screamed in agony and fell backwards.

Before he could recover from the shock I summoned him to me with a wave of my arm and he flew straight at my outstretched blade. I buried my lightsaber to the hilt in his chest and burned his heart to a crisp.

"Vinroc!" keened the only living twin. "You! I'll slaughter you for that!" Karoc spat and charged me.

His eyes were blazing yellow and he was gripped by a Dark side controlled rage.

I shook my head at his stupidity. For a Makashi user, what he was doing was pure foolishness. Without thought and precise control that style was nothing!

I used my irritation at his display to fuel my charge and met him halfway. Our blades crashed in each other and I send him reeling back. I easily deflected his wild swings and stabbing attempts, and turned my defensive moves into devastating counter strikes which Karoc was barely able to evade thanks to his still deft footwork. He was retreating before my blade, trading distance for a small measure of safety. I was not about to have any of that. I banished the fried B-1 droids at him as a distraction for a force enchanted jump.

Karoc snarled in anger as he slashed a limp robot in two and then groaned when the rest of the machines hit him. He staggered under the rain of metal and then I was upon him.

Thanks to his rage enhanced strength he was able to hold onto his sword for dear life when I landed next to him and delivered a powerful overhead slash. Karoc was brought to his knees but managed to keep the buzzing blades a centimeter from his head. I continued to press down, locking the lightsabers in a deadly vice. I easily twisted the blades away thanks to my superior leverage and smashed my right knee into his face. The durasteel guard protecting my joint shattered his nose and he fell to his back, stunned for a moment. My blade screamed down in a crimson arc and struck the left shoulder of the man who was dazedly trying to stand up. Karoc fell back bisected in two as my lightsaber exited his torso under his right armpit.

I turned my attention towards the only other living thing in the courtyard. Nute Gunray was pressed to the wall near the entrance to the landing ramp where his ship used to be. He was trembling and muttering to himself in his native tongue. I headed towards him when Republic LAAT's buzzed overhead and flew heading at my position. Behind them I could see the descending form of an Acclamator which was escorted by wings of fighters. The Assault Cruiser was disgorging waves of troopships. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the Force. I could sense at least three more of the capital ships moving in the general vicinity of this facility and there was a familiar force signature in the leading LAAT.

I grumbled. Why the hell the Reinforcements were early the one time I did not need their bloody assistance?! I was already under observation by the first flight of LAATs so simply cutting the head of Gunray without provocation would not do if I wanted to keep my reputation as a levelheaded fella and not a raging lunatic.

Before the first armed transport could land its side doors opened and a familiar form jumped out followed by an unknown female Jedi. I deactivated my lightsaber and grabbed the Viceroy by the neck of his robes and led him towards the Jedi.

"Hi there! Nice to see you again!" I beamed at the newcomers.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

****AN: This chapter was betaed by Dymian on FF net! Thank you very much for the great work!**  
**

**Phase 04 : Ghosts of the past**

**=RK=**

**Part 1**

**Rodia**

**Outer Rim**

I stared at the two Togruta females who were first to disembark the lead LAAT gunship. The first, who was bouncing with excitement, was the one I sensed. Ahsoka Tano. What she was doing here without her master I had no idea. But the second, who I did not recognize was what halted me in my tracks. She was about my height if you do not count the curved horns which were crowning her head. Her lekku, which were colored with soft blue and white stripes, swung in a way which brought painful memories from my life as Darth Vael. I stared at the coloring she had over her eyes up to her temples. It was snow white, with red rectangles over her eyes. Her black, serene eyes, returned my stare calmly.

The Jedi were followed by disembarking troopers. A clone commander who had his helmet painted green came to me and stood at attention.

"We received your signal. We are at your dispoal, sir!" he gave me a crisp salute.

I smirked under my helmet and wondered how many of the Jedi on the Council would have conniptions when they heard about this exchange. I returned the salute and pointed at the sniveling neimoidian.

"You may get this sorry excuse for a sentient being out of my sight, commander. This facility should be reasonably secure but it won't hurt to sweep it for surprises left by the separatists."

"Right away, sir! Men, take that scum away!" he ordered a squad of troopers. No one liked poor Gunray. Couldn't have happened to a nicer person.

My attention returned to the Jedi and I absentmindedly twirled my still ignited blade in my hand before deactivating it.

"Delkatar! Is Padme all right? Who were they?" Ahsoka pointed at the remains of the Dark Acolytes while bouncing around.

I wondered if she had overdosed on Caf.

"Slow, down kiddo. As far as I know the senator is all right. I left her up at the comm tower. She may need a bit of anti-rad treatment. I loaned her one of my personal shields but it was damaged a bit and leaks a small amount of radiation."

Hearing that, a team of clone-medics and two squads of infantry as escorts rushed for the tower. Good men. Never trust that an AO is secure unless your own men had swept it for enemies, and if you are smart you won't assume it is clear even then.

"As for those idiots they were a couple of Dark Jedi trained by Dooku. Nothing special."

"Uhuh." said the younger Togruta, clearly unconvinced.

"Ahsoka, won't you introduce us?" I nodded at the older Jedi.

"Ah. Yeees. Sorry." she looked a bit sheepish. "Master Shaak Ti, this is Delkatar Veil. I am not sure as what to introduce him today... Bounty hunter? Dark Jedi? Or something else..." she trailed off.

"Master Ti, under other circumstances I'd say that is a pleasure to meet you. But I do not believe in coincidences. The Council found records about me from the war, didn't they? That's why they sent you near where my mission was to go down."

The older Togruta gave me a small nod. Ahsoka looked between with confusion.

"And you say that the Sith are manipulative bastards. Ah, I see you've not been briefed yet considered that they sent you too, Ahsoka, you should know."

"Umm... What's going on here?'' Tano asked in a small voice. It was plain to see that she was not liking where this was going.

"Once upon a time I was married for a former Jedi. A Togruta woman."

Ahsoka's eyes widened with realization. I could see her fighting to restrain her rising anger.

"It just happened that Master Ti was sent to patrol nearby… If you believe that, I have some prime real estate to sell you. On Tatooine."

"It's not the most cunning plan that the Council ever had, is it?" Shaak gave me a rueful smile.

The part of me that was Darth Vael was torn between exploding with unrelenting fury and appreciation of the Jedi Master's trilling voice. What was happening was a bit of his past that I thought was dead and burred, with no way to influence me. Oh, how mistaken I was. At that moment I could understand and almost agree with Sidious plan for permanently dealing with the Jedi. Fucking Council!

"You are my newly minted minder, are you not? You, Master Ti do not want to hear my thoughts on the council right now. Trust me about that."

If I started speaking about the emperor damned bastards I won't stop cursing for hours. Instead I turned to humor but I was sure that the females would not appreciate it.

"Well, at least they didn't sent you to seduce me in order to keep me under control, did they?" I smirked. Not that I would resist being seduced by Shaak Ti. Even under the unflattering cloak and robes preferred by the Jedi she had a great figure.

"What!? NO! The Council... They'd never... Arrgh!" Ahsoka spluttered.

To my surprise the Master Jedi had a ghost of a smile on her face.

"Not yet anyway." she deadpanned. "Considering your history they thought that I would have better chances to get away in one piece if you went berserk as most of them expect."

"I find their lack of faith disturbing."

"The Council will do what they got to do." was her neutral response which explained nothing. Or perhaps everything.

"What about you, Ahsoka? I thought that Skywalker needed someone with a bit of common sense to keep him out of trouble."

The younger Togruta shrugged.

"Master Kenobi called him for some kind of mission. Almost at the same time my request to visit my home world and reconnect with my roots was unexpectedly accepted. I was ordered to join Master Ti and head to Shili with her after the patrol was over. "

I really hopped that the old goats on the Council did not expect me to try seducing both females. Ahsoka was a kid damn it! But with me being a Sith they wouldn't have put it beside me. And if I did so it could easily be used as a Casus Belli to deal with me. Of course such thing would have most likely destroyed Ahsoka's future but who cares!? Sacrifices must be made for the greater Good of the Order.

'JEDI!' There was so much venom in that thought that it would have been enough to drop a whole Republic army.

Shaak Ti sensed the way my thoughts were straying and cleared her throat.

"Well, I have an errant to run on Shili and after this patrol was over my forces were scheduled for a bit of R&amp;R while my ships were to be upgraded. But now, that plan is probably dust."

I heard before sensing or seeing the approach of Senator Amidala. She was arguing with a medic who was waving a hand held scanner over her. She was followed by C-3PO who was bemoaning his fate and to my ever greater dread – Jar-Jar. The bloody nuisance didn't had the good sense to get himself shot. Or the damn droids were just that bad at it.

"Senator, it's good to see that more trouble failed to find you. This time." I said instead of greeting.

"You dealt with the droids and scared the Rodian's to death. What trouble?" she snorted but there was a hint of disapproval in her voice.

But one look at the dead Dark Jedi and her attitude changed.

"I saw your fight from the tower. Thank you. With them around its unlikely that I would have been able to escape."

Amidala showing common sense? A bit reassuring. Besides its' been a long time since anyone had thanked me for something. Or was that how it was with Vael? Damn it! I was starting to have trouble differentiating between my memories and that of the Sith. They both felt equally real!

"You are welcome. I just did my job. Even Ferr is in one piece for what that is worth. What's the plan for him?"

Padme looked at me with resigned expression. Without me around, she might been able to spin some tale how the courageous politicians had helped deal with the separatists. And if the twins were not here, which they were only on my account, she might been able to pull some crazy stunt on her own and capture the Viceroy. However that was not the case. And I had a video evidence thanks to a recorder build in my helmet. It was great for AARs (after action reports).

The senator or former one as very well might be the case, was brought to us by a pair of clones. Before we could speak more about his fate I felt cold shiver running down my back. The Force screamed a warning and I was spinning around. My right hand had a death grip over my lightsaber's blade. I saw a clone technician place a holocomm emitter on the ground. I had to struggle with paralyzing fear as it dawned to me who would most likely be on the other side of the interstellar call. I slammed my mental shields down and used every little trick I knew to help shield my signature in the Force. The Jedi looked at me with confusion.

"Senator Amidala informed me what happened and what your people need Farr. I already dispatched a convoy to Rodia. You however..."

The traitorous senator looked at the ground. His small antennas hanged limply.

"I congratulate you for your courageous role in capturing Nute Gunray. It will be taken into account when your fate is decided, Farr. But more than anything I want to congratulate Delkatar Veil. His actions today dealt a great blow to the Separatists."

"I simply did my job, Chancellor." I gave the man a courteous bow. It was not the first and probably far from the last time I had to be polite to people whose guts I hated or planned to dispose of.

"I hope that the Republic could benefit from your services in the future."

"I am thankful for your kind words, Chancellor, but that is unlikely. The Jedi Council and I do not see eye to eye. I believe that there are those amongst them who would do their best to insure that my talents are not used. They frown upon people using the force who were not trained by one of their own."

"That's uncommonly harsh view to have towards the Jedi, my young friend. They've been guardians of the galactic peace for a thousand years. Surely your view of them is somewhat biased?"

If I did not know better I would have believed his honeyed words. Ever across the stars I could feel a subtle pressure to listen to him. And I think that he was not even trying! That was just his aura! Truly there were few Sith Lords I knew that could compare to that. It would be interesting to see how he compared to them. Even if he was the strongest Sith Lord to rise after the fall of the Empire I served, that did not mean that he would be unstoppable juggernaut. Hell no! Not with the Rule of Two and the lack of real Sith to struggle against at every turn.

"Perhaps, your excellency. Time will tell. May I ask for a small boon?"

"If it is within my power. You did a great favor to the Republic I serve."

Riiight. Pull the other one...

"I would want to join whoever escorts Gunray to his final destination. I caught him and do not wish my efforts to go to waste."

Palpatine looked at me with a frown. I think that he expected that I'll ask for more. Well, I will and soon. But I needed better bargain position. If the foreseeable future unfolded as I suspected and I did not fuck up that may happen soon."

"I can assure you that the Jedi Council and GAR high command can manage but if you wish to provide additional security so be it. It's the least I can do."

"Thank, you Chancellor."

With that the connection was cut. I exhaled a breath in relief. I could feel him probing my mental shields which easily held. However that was not particularly reassuring. He was not dumb enough to try mind raping me while there were two Jedi behind me. But I can tell that he was interested in me. In the Emperor's name! I hoped that the old crafty bastard won't decide to groom me as his next apprentice. Those who aspired to that position tended to end badly. Cut in two, missing appendages and lava burns... It was hazardous for one's health.

I ignored Ferr who was begging Amidala for forgiveness and looked at the females who were giving me curious looks. Ahsoka was about to start bouncing again.

"Who gave the kid Caf?" I asked the Master Jedi.

Shaak Ti glanced at the full of energy teen and smirked.

"Oh, don't worry. I know how to make use of that. Padawan Tano, you've got some excessive energy to burn. You can never be in good enough shape. Start running around the courtyard without using the Force to rejuvenate yourself."

"There must be more battle droids around here! Or something else to do! Mater Ti! Please?" Ahsoka whined.

"Start running, Padawan!" Shaak Ti snapped with a voice that would have made any self-respecting drill instructor proud.

The younger Togruta pouted and started jogging.

"Tano! I said RUN!"

Ahsoka jumped as if stung and sprinted away from the ire of the older woman.

"You seem able to manage her better than Skywalker."

The Jedi Master snorted with amusement.

**=RK=**

**Part 2**

**Munificent Class Frigate Shadow's Veil**

**Location Classified**

"The capture of Gunray is a serious threat for us. That fool was warned not to step foot on Rodia. At least until it was clear what danger Veil Represents. He will break under Jedi interrogation. Even faster if this mercenary is allowed to get his hands on him."

Dooku was kneeling in front of a hologram of Sidious and listening about the unexpected debacle that had befallen CIS. His anger spiked when the spineless Viceroy was mentioned.

"I am dealing with it, master. My best agent, Asajj Ventress will gain entrance to the Jedi's ship and deal with him one way or another. "

"You have a great deal of faith in your pet, my friend. Especially when she had failed in the past. But I am afraid that she may not be enough. Not with a Dark Jedi who is playing mercenary assisting the Council's puppets. Send Artel Darc with her. He should be close enough to intercept the mercenary."

"As you command, master."

When the comm signal was cut from Palpatine, Dooku rose up with a frown on his face. 'Damn that fool, Gunray!' he thought. With the information that slug had in his all too small brain, the Republic could wreck unholy chaos upon the CIS. To make matters worse, that was a new element in an already chaotic situation. Ever since the visions of the future he and Sidious could gleam were shrouded by ripples in the Dark side, such an unexpected complication was not welcomed. For a first time since swearing his allegiance to Sidious, the Count was facing an uncertain future. It was not something he felt comfortable with. 'And isn't that thought such an understatement!'

The armored doors leading to the bridge slid open and Ventress glided in. She was moving with the practiced ease of a trained predator.

"Master." Her voice was quiet, almost sultry.

"You could afford no mistakes, child. Not only would failure spell disaster for the Confederation but our master will be most displeased. I do not need to tell you what that entails. You must prove that you are worthy to be my apprentice, Asajj. "

"I am worthy, Master. I will prove it to you." The assassin practically purred. Her lips twisted in a cruel smile.

"Ventress. Did not underestimate the mercenary accompanying the Jedi. I sense danger when thinking about that man. Darc is expendable in the great scheme of things. Use the man's talents as you see fit. Just get the job done."

**=RK=**

**On route to Republic cruiser Tranquility**

**Rodia's orbit**

**Outer Rim**

After my civil conversation with his Sithiness himself, I was in for a boring day. Not that I minded after spending almost three days cooped up in the cockpit of my Torrent before arriving on Rodia. Being able to stretch my legs after the journey here felt great.

The reason for the delay was typical one. The Jedi Council could'nt make their mind about how best to transport the Viceroy after they were informed that I'll be tagging along. Gunray spent that time in a small tower near to the one from which we called reinforcements. It was meant for Amidala after her capture. I appreciated the irony of the situation. It served the bastard well.

My only problem was that I was not permuted to interrogate him myself. Shaak Ti declared that the Council had not decided how to deal with him. The infernal woman was following me everywhere except the fresher not allowing me to have a quiet chat with the prisoner! And that infuriating, small smile... that made her face so different and alive compared to her usual severe expression... She was baiting me on purpose!

What were orders from the council anyway? For her to infuriate me into a murderous rage and get herself killed?!

Ahsoka was no help. After Master Ti ran her into the ground, the Padawan was too busy sleeping, ahem, meditating to be a nice conversation partner.

Shaak Ti appeared to be a quiet, private woman who I sensed would have liked to keep to herself but was unwavering in pursuing her duty. So no fun there. She was not interested in talking and I was not about to start pointing all the flaws of the Council and Jedi dogma before I knew her better and figured out what approach would work with her. If the Jedi leadership was consistent, I most likely would have time to figure her out, with her being my new minder.

I could not even get a heart to heart conversation with the clones at the facility! They were wary of the Jedi tagging along. And some of the bloody bastards were chuckling at my predicament. Cheeky bastards.

That leads me to the present. I was on board of a Consular class frigate which was used to ferry us to the cruiser tasked with carrying us to our destination. After the Jedi were unwilling to include me in the escort detail, Palpatine evidently threw his considerable weight around and arranged for the prisoner's transportation.

I was with Ahsoka and Master Ti in the cockpit of the relatively small craft. Behind us was Gunray who was wearing chains. That was my idea. A bit of creative use of the Force and the manacles which were meant for Amidala were holding him secure.

When we approached the cruiser one of the clone's piloting our frigate contacted it. On a screen over the windows of the cockpit appeared an image of three men in blue armor. Senate commandos. It will be a wonder if a single one of them was not faithful to Palpatine first. Or perhaps not. An attack aimed at rescuing the Neimoidian could be a good cover to dispose from dissenters in the ranks...

The Jedi Master took charge of the situation.

"Cruiser Tranquility, this is General Shaak Ti. We have the prisoner secure and request permission to dock."

"You have it. We are awaiting the prisoner."

"Thank you, captain Argyus."

Meanwhile, I could hear Gunray trying to bribe the clones guarding him. I wondered how that would go down. With me and two Jedi on the frigate it was obvious that even if they wanted the troopers won't agree. But what interested me was how and why they would decline.

"This is a most generous offer, Viceroy. Considering that because of you and your cronies my brothers fight and die all over the galaxy, I'll have to decline. But I'll make you a counter-offer. Keep your damn mouth shut and I won't have to do it for you." Growled the clone commander. That was the same one who I met yesterday after dispatching the twins.

As we were about to dock through the hanger in the belly of the Venator, Ahsoka muttered:

"Finally we'll get away from him."

To be fair, Gunray's whining was more than irritating and if it was not for my image as a level headed Sith, I would have seriously considered the benefits of ripping out his tongue as the phantom of Darth Vael suggested.

**=RK=**

Shaak Ti, Ahsoka and me plus Commander Green were the ones escorting the CIS leader to the detention center of the cruiser. Near it we were met by five men in blue armors led by the blonde captain with who Master Ti spoke.

"Greetings, General. We have a nice, dark cell waiting for this traitor." said the commando officer.

"Excellent, Captain. Commander Green, lead the way."

"Move!" the clone shoved Gunray in the back.

"How in the Force did such a worm as Gunray deserve the attention of senate commandos?!" exclaimed Ahsoka.

I lightly tapped the back of her head.

"Ouch!" she glared at me. "Why did you do that?!"

"By himself, that walking pile of slime is not dangerous. However as a high ranking leader of the CIS he undoubtedly knows a lot of their dirty secrets, not to mention relevant strategic information. With the delay between capturing him and the Council making their minds it is virtually guaranteed that the Separatists would make an effort to free or silence him. "I pointed at the commandos walking in front of us. "That's why they are here."

"Your friend is correct, Jedi." said the captain.

**Tranquility**

**Leaving High orbit of Rodia**

I was with the two female Jedi in the cell where Gunray was chained for an interrogation table. I had the dubious "privilege" to observe how the protectors of the Republic tried to extract information from the Neimoidian. To say it was underwhelming would be a generous understatement. The way it was going there would be no questions answered. Just me, snapping and strangling the offensive politician with his own entrails. For ten minutes Shaak Ti asked the same questions and tried to gently persuade him to speak up. Then, suddenly things became much more interesting. I could feel anger rising within Ahsoka. The young Togruta had a low tolerance for Nute's particular kind of bullshit. I could sense her tensing and briefly brushing with the Dark side before the anger became too much for the kid to handle and she lost her composure. Her anger spiked and she slapped her palms over the table in frustration.

"Liar! Liar! Stop your sniveling and tell us the truth!" Ahsoka snarled.

With one elegant motion she drew her saber and an emerald blade sprang to life from its hilt. Tano dashed forward and placed the humming beam of energy centimeters from the throat of the Neimoidian who was struggling with the manacles chaining him to the table.

"Tell us the truth right now, before I gut you like a fish!"

I was smirking under my helmet and watching the show. The girl had fire in her! Knowing that at some point she had ended up expelled from the Order (the damn fools!) and never came back, I was determined to help her. Such potential! Obviously she was not one of those who could not see past the Jedi's Dogma!

Shaak Ti moved in a bluer and grabbed Asoka's sword arm and pulled the blade from Gunray's neck. The prisoner slumped to the ground hyperventilating.

"Padawan Tano! What in the name of the Force do you think you are doing?! The Jedi do not use fear as a weapon!"

"Even when it can end a battle or a war much faster thus saving lives?" I asked.

Then I turned to the girl and by the way she stiffened I knew she could feel my glare despite my helmet.

"As for you, Ahsoka, that was disappointing. You let your anger rule you instead the other way around! That's the problem with you Jedi! You have no damned idea how to handle your feelings! You do not fight your anger when you've been suppressing your emotions for as long as either of you had! You let it flow through you and channel it into something useful! "

The younger Togruta was about to say something but I cut her off.

"Do not dare lie to me young lady!" I snapped at her. "Giving us some story that you really did not mean it won't fly with me! I could feel your anger! You were deadly serious and that slug, "I pointed at Gunray who was now terrified, "has important information in his head. Intelligence that your precious Republic needs! What would have happened if you went and cut off his head?! "

"I'm sorry." she mumbled. I could see her eyes becoming heavy with tears.

Bloody hell. I hate to see girls crying. Strange for a Sith, I know.

"Don't go moping around and instead learn from you mistake so it does not happen again. Ahsoka, you are a bright, you woman with her whole life in front of her. Do not waste it by giving in to your anger. "

"Sniff. Thanks." Tano muttered.

"That's not what I expected from you, Delkatar."

"Not this again! Why the hell would I want to turn Ahsoka into a murderous lunatic controlled by the Dark side?!" I bemoaned. How many times must I have the same damned conversation with different Jedi?!

"It's the Sith way. You walk in the darkness. While most of your actions are atypical for one of your kind, I could sense the Dark side on you. It's so intense that I could almost taste it." Shaak Ti spoke quietly. Just loud enough for me to hear her.

"Because it is not, damn it! Unless you want to turn a bunch of Jedi into a bunch of half-mad dogs seaming for blood. Good to use as shock troops but little else. That is not something I want for Ahsoka." I huffed with exasperation. "You saw her! One of this days, the Jedi would have to admit to themselves that you do feel. You can't cut off your emotions. Instead of burying your collective heads in the sand, re-learn how to deal with them."

"Re-learn?"

"You've seen my record. The Jedi of old were not blind enough to pretend that they had no emotions. 'Emotion, yet peace.' Does that ring a bell?"

"That's..." Master Ti's eyes widened when hearing that line.

"Yeah. Quite different, isn't it? If you want I'll tell you more about the Jedi of old. But now we have a job to do, don't we?" I asked and looked at the prisoner.

Gunray gulped.

"Ah. I was a bit hasty, wasn't I? Shall we negotiate?"

I snorted derisively and raised my right hand. My palm pointed at him and he could see lightning sparkling between my fingers.

"You answer all our questions truthfully and completely. And I do not practice my lightning on you. I can tell when you lie, Viceroy. Do not mistake me for a Jedi as those two fetching ladies. I am like your master."

His eyes grew wide to a comic proportions.

"A Sith!? " Gunray squealed like a little girl.

I sensed a tremor in the Force and moved driven by instinct. The ship shook under our feet and Mater Ti lost her balance when she tried to steady the still distraught Ahsoka. I caught her before she slammed into the table.

"Your friends are here, Viceroy. Do not count on them getting you out of this mess."

**=RK=**

**Part 3**

**Republic cruiser Tranquility**

**Rodia star system**

**Outer Rim**

"We have multiple droid fighters and boarding ships incoming! Brace for impact!"

I could hear the captain's voice coming from the communicator build in the left arm-guard of Commander Green. When the skipper of the ship you are on becomes frantic you know that the situation is dire. That thought was neatly punctuated when four nearly simultaneous shudders rand down the bulk of the cruiser.

Commander Green had deployed his company in such positions as to block any push towards the brig. I hoped that it will be enough.

"You two feel it too, right?" I asked my Jedi companions.

The moment Tranquility was struck by what I presumed were boarding pods, I felt a disturbances in the force. We had company of the lightsaber wielding kind. If I had not kriffed up the time-line too much by now one of them should be Ventress. However this time she had decided to bring a friend or two.

"No! Check your fire! He has lightsaber!" A desperate shout came over the comm.

"Green leader, respond!" ordered the clone commander to no avail.

"There are at least two of them, Master Ti. Who do you want?"

"Ahsoka, guard the prisoner. We'll deal with the boarders." ordered the older Togruta.

For once Tano did not argue and took position in front of the cell, which was flanked by two senate commandos.

The determination shining in her eyes and her fierce voice brought back memories best forgotten. A fresh, spicy smell... A soft touch and hot breath washing over my skin... I shook my head. The past was dead and buried. By now not even dust remained. I had to keep my head in the present.

"Go help the troops. I'll hunt down the other one." said the Jedi Master.

I smiled. I could hear it in her voice. The trill of the hunt was burning within her heart. The instincts of the predators from which her kind evolved demanding to be unleashed. I just knew that she wanted to growl with eagerness that she had a prey to hunt. Pity that her Jedi training was restraining her.

"As you wish. May the Force be with you, Master Ti."

"And with you."

We separated at the elevators and headed in different directions.

**=RK=**

I met the remains of Green company soon enough. Those were four clones, one of which wounded and being tended by one of his brothers. The other two had their blasters pointed at a sealed blast doors which were being slowly but surely sliced open by a lightsaber.

"Move to the next intersection and use the side corridors as cover. I'll deal with this nuisance."

"As you wish, sir! Good luck!"

The clones dragged their wounded brother with them as they ran for cover.

I prepared an Ion grenade that I "liberated" from the troops occupying Rodia. When a circle was cut into the blast doors, it was blasted away by a strong push with the Force. It was followed by a solid wall of blaster bolts which scorched the bulkheads but otherwise did not cause any damage. The next to come were Super Battle droids which tried to squeeze inside one by one. I lobbed the grenade after the first had passed and jumped away. A pulse of ion energy washed over the floor, walls and ceiling. The battle droid which had passed through the breached blast door fell in a twitching heap.

Another wave of force shoved the unfortunate machine away and a blonde man who was about my height rolled through the hole. Once he was on this side he immediately jumped on his feet and activated his lightsaber. I followed suit after drawing out my own.

He raised his weapon in a high, Djem So guard. His hands were over his head and the sword was slightly tilted backwards.

My answer was to fall in a Juyo stance. I held my weapon horizontally above my head and pointed to the right.

"Another of the so called Dark Acolytes wish to commit suicide or are you lost?" I snarked.

"Tsk." The blond man glared at me. "You must have some skill to have dealt with the twins, but I am nothing like those weaklings!" he scoffed.

"Your name would be appreciated. I'll need it for the After Action Report. Who knows? I may get a bonus for you!" I grinned in typical mercenary fashion.

"Arrogant much?" the Dark Jedi scowled at me.

"Just sure in my abilities, whelp. Can you say the same?"

I charged in a blur of a motion before my last word finished leaving my lips.

Our crimson weapons slammed in each other with a flash of surging power. As our lightsabers met again and again, the discharged energy which escaped the containment fields surrounding our blades cast a sinister light over the corridor.

I let all the frustration, all the doubts and the uneasy feelings I had since I was reminded of Vael's wife to flow freely through me. They were washed away by waves of battle lust and fierce joy as I clashed with my opponent.

Our lightsabers locked together. My opponent leaned over the hilt of his saber in an attempt to push the buzzing blades into contact with me. I chuckled as my wrists twisted in just the right way to overbalance the Dark Jedi when I stepped to the side and let him 'win' our contest of strength. He spat a curse as he rolled forward to gain distance and prevent me from easily stabbing him in the back. However I had no intention to do so right now. My free hand was busy throwing live frag grenades through the hole cut by my adversary in the blast doors. I knew that Super Battle droids were somewhat resistant to Ion pulses and a single Ion grenade was enough to only disable them temporarily. I wanted to deal once and for all with the incapacitated machines so they did not interrupt me while I was busy with the Dooku's pawn. Three grenades flew through the breached door while my blade was slicing to pieces the only SB to pass through.

The blond man darted at me with his saber ready to deliver powerful overhead strike. I banished the glowing scrap of few droids at him. The Dark Jedi displayed an impressive skill in acrobatics. He sidestepped the first piece, moved his head to avoid a second and jumped in the air, twisting his body horizontally so he passed between two more fragments of machines I dismembered. It was a quite colorful and beautiful move. Also quite dumb.

I blasted him with a wave of telekinesis while he was still in the air and the man slammed in the bulkhead to the left. I jumped at him as the grenades on the other side of the blast door detonated in a shower of fire and lethal fragments. I caught the edge of the blast wave which propelled me faster to my target. The blond managed to roll away in the last possible moment – just I slammed my blade in the deck.

I withdrew the energy beam. The fingers of my left hand twitched and drops of molten plating flew at the Dark Jedi. He threw his arms in front of the molten metal and it froze in midair. The chunks of cooling deck bounced between our feet as our blades met again.

I parried a decapitating stoke and slammed an armored fist in my enemy's face. He tried to kick me while our weapons were still locked but I moved my left leg so the attack landed on my shin. Then I threw him with the Force so his back slammed in the bulkhead to the right. I was on him in the next heartbeat and he was barely able to interpose his blade between my lightsaber and his neck. I pushed with all my might and the beams of energy came nearer to him. His own saber was pushed backwards and the upper half of its blade bit at the bulkhead leaving a melting rend. As I redoubled my effort his own saber was coming closer and closer to his face.

With a surge of a desperation fueled strength he pushed me away and rolled to the left as I brought down my blade which cut deeply in the bulkhead. I dropped to my knees as his lightsaber slashed overhead in a swipe aimed at my back. I rotated to bring my weapon to bear at the blond who was doing the same. He pushed my blade at the wall and kicked me twice in the ribs. I grunted in pain as I felt something in my chest cracking. I snarled as my left hand moved to parry another kick which slammed me into the wall.

I used the brief opportunity while the Dark Jedi was pulling back his leg after he kicked me to readjust the way I held my weapon's hilt to a backhand grip. I used the mass of my whole body as I surged away from the bulkhead and broke the saber lock trapping my blade against the armored wall. I used my momentum to rotate my body and swept my crimson lightsaber in a circle around me.

The blonde used the same technique to regain his balance and counterattack. Our ruby colored blades struck each other with enough momentum to buckle their hilts within our grasps.

I was pissed off at the way I underestimated my opponent and channeled my building anger into my attacks. A web of blazing energy formed between us as I rained attack after attack at the Dark Jedi. With each strike he was stepping back. His attention was focused on me as he desperately parried the storm of slashes aimed at cutting him to pieces.

I looked behind him and gave a sharp nod. I saw a single moment of horrified realization in the blond man's eyes before the three, still hale clones, shot him in the back. His body shuddered as the blaster bolts hit him and he stumbled. He was already dying and unable to parry my next slash and my blade flew through his right wrist and my return strike took off his head.

"Note to self. Do not underestimate the kriffing Acolytes. Getting cocky will see me killed."

I deactivated my lightsaber and gave a respectful nod to the clone troopers.

"Great work men. Get your friend to the med bay and then head to the detention center."

I headed towards the cell block a bit slower than I could. My mind was preoccupied with calming me down and using the Force to mend my cracked ribs. While in the heat of combat I barely felt a tingle of pain but now it flared as if I had a dagger sticking from my chest. The second kick might have done a bit more damage than I realized. I grunted as something shifted within my chest and my left side was gripped by a brief lance of agony before a wave of warmth drowned it. It was amazing! I could feel my bones fusing together and whatever internal damage there was shrinking under the gentle caress of the Force!

My brief distraction cost me when the ship lurched under my feet and I stumbled. Armored helmet met a bulkhead and my head bounced inside the cage of durasteel supposed to keep my brain intact. It was as if the captain was performing evasive maneuvers in a kriffing fighter!

"What in the nine Corellian hells is going on?!" I growled and stood up. The main power was obviously off and emergency lighting were snapping on all around the ship.

I ran towards the cells. I was halfway there when my comm cracked to life.

"This is Commander Green! We need back up! The Jedi went after Ventress and we are under heavy attack by commando droids!"

"I am on my way, commander! Hold your position!" I said to the clone and pushed myself to run even faster.

**=RK=**

It took me a minute to reach the elevators leading to the detention center. I got there moments after five black humanoid droids. Four of them were holding blasters and the last had a blade forged from some kind of dark colored metal. If its creators had any sense it was at least covered with cortosis.

The droid wielding melee weapon sprinted towards me while its cronies opened fire. In that moment it jumped out of the way and ran over the left wall!

Thanks to the Force, which was not only enhancing my reflexes but showing me where the blaster bolts would go the instant before the droids fired I was able to easily deflect them. However the machines were not standing still. Advanced predictive programing guided them as they rained fire upon me and moved in such a way as to minimize the chance of a deflected shot hitting them.

It was not good enough. A droid crumbled to the ground after a bolt of energy shattered its neck. Another had its blaster smashed.

Then the blade wielding robot was upon me and the hail of gunfire tapered off. It jumped from the wall and flew towards me with its weapon leading the way. I caught the droid commando with fingers of invisible energy and held it as a shield. The little hut spawn tilted its head and his arms moved behind its back. I heard a familiar click and hurled it towards its brethren with all my might. As soon as it flew away I gathered as much Force as I could and molded it as a shield in front of me. The grenades the droid had activated obliterated it short of its comrades. The remaining robots were obscured by a solid wall of flames and shrapnel which hit my shield like the fist of angry Titan. My armored boots scrapped over the deck as I was pushed backwards by the shock-wave. I could feel my armor heating up and the Emperors cursed explosion was still going on!

**=RK=**

**Part 4**

**Planet Shili**

**Ehosiq sector**

**Expansion Region**

I was racing over a field of thick, red grass which stretched as far as the eyes could see. My speeder's engine whined in protest as I pushed it far beyond the speeds for which it was rated. Only my iron grip over the Force allowed the straining machine to continue moving at the breathtaking pace I was pushing it. The vehicle was moving at nearly four hundred kilometers per hour but it was far from enough. I could sense it in my bones and no matter how hot the rage I felt was getting, it did not change the facts. Barring a miracle I was going to be too late!

I could almost see how my wife was fighting for her life more than two hundred clicks away. Even from here I could sense the men and women attacking her. From time to time one of their Force signatures winked away but it was a drop in the bucket. There was at least a platoon of Republic commandos and a strike team of Jedi. To make matters worse, the kriffing sons of banthas were there for me but instead were attacking my wife and her apprentice!

Half hour. It was all it took me to get there. It felt like eternity. I experienced every single bruise, the smallest of cuts that Ashara received. Her fury when Selit Roak, the kid she had taken under her wing was cut down. The impact of blaster bolts splashing on her shields and the ones scarring her armor.

She was weakening. Laser swords and cortosis forged blades were keeping her in the center of a lethal whirlwind as she did her best to keep the weapons away from her. But now and then an attack slipped through her defenses. One nicked her left shoulder, another – her right thigh.

I was only five minutes away when my heart was torn away from my chest. Ashara made one mistake and three lightsaber blades pierced her chest. I sensed the Force trembling as all the energy she used to keep up with the people murdering her dissipated.

For one last moment the connection we shared for years flared to life and I could hear her saying "Goodbye Vael. I..."

I felt her soft hands touching my face and a brush of a feathery kiss over my dry lips. A ghostly outline of angelic face smiled at me sadly and disappeared in a thousand moths of bluish light.

My screams of unrelenting rage sent the wildlife running in panic for dozens of kilometers around me.

When I reached the small house which used to be my wife's family ancestral home, it was burning fiercely. I could see Republic troopers tending to their wounded and a female Jedi kneeling next to a prone form which I instantly recognized as my wife's body.

With a furious below I jumped from my speeder. My lightsaber flew into my outstreched hand and roaring to life. With a wave of the Force I sent my ride flying at a group of surprised commandos. The energy field that I maintained to keep the speeder in one piece evaporated and the machine blew up taking the shocked troops with it.

I landed between a pair of commandos who were struggling to rise up their weapons. The one to the right few back bisected by my blade. The other one grasped his trachea as I used the Force to pulverize it. He gurgled and fell to his knees, drowning in his own blood.

The female Jedi, a white haired Echani woman, stood up and looked at me with shock and fear. A torrent of lightning blew her away from my wife's body which she was busy desecrating.

My head turned to the right where a commando was pointing a carbine at my head. He opened fire as I was rising my sword to deflect his attack. Azure bolt of energy raced straight at me...

**=RK=**

**Republic cruiser Tranquility**

**Near Rodia**

**Outer Rim**

My eyes snapped open and starred at the barrel of a blaster. It fired from point blank range and almost blinded me when its red bolt dissipated over my active shield. Funny. I did not remember activating it.

I clamped my left hand around the weapon's barrel and twisted it away despite the metal fingers gripping it from the other side. I glared at the scorched droid which tried to end me. An echo from the fury I felt during... The dream? Vision? No. It was a memory... It coursed through my whole being coloring the worlds with crimson hues. The commando droid struggled with me for possession of the rifle but that abruptly ended when my attention got back to the machine. It shuddered as its torso was squashed by fingers made by the Force itself.

I threw the pile of scrap behind me and stood up on unsteady legs. The explosion almost did me in. Those were not frag grenades the droid used to blew itself. Oh, no. Thermal detonators. If it was not for me subconscious activating my energy shield as well as throwing that wall of force between me and the explosion I would have cooked in my armor. At best.

As it was I was only knocked out for couple of minutes if the clock inside my still active HUD was correct. The silver lining was that the detonation had dealt with the remaining droids with the notable exception of that one which tried to shoot me in the head. I could not feel others of their kind around.

I wasted another minute to retrieve my lightsaber which was in the back of the corridor under some debris. At least it was intact.

**=RK=**

When I got to the detention center I found pandemonium. More than a dozen dead clones and all but one of the Senate commandos were littering the floors. They had taken twice their number of commando droids down but that was small comfort. I headed to the only living being in this facility – Commander Green who was slumped on the deck in front of Gunray's open cell. I retrieved a med pack from the small of my back and used it to hastily patch up the man. Then I opened my senses and ran towards the main hangar.

I could feel Ahsoka and Shaak Ti fighting with a Dark side user. Ventress. But I ignored their struggle. The Neimoidian was near to the frigate with which we came aboard! I could not let the bastard escape yet he was too far away to reach before he boarded the smaller ship!

My thoughts raced frantically until a crazy idea occurred to me. I sealed my armor and headed towards my new destination.

**=RK=**

Nute Gunray was dragged through the cruiser by that rude captain who was in the employ of Dooku. He did not like the human but at least the traitor was getting him away!

The Viceroy was thankful to all Deities that might exist that the Sith that captured him and was about to interrogate him was not shown himself. It was very good thing that Ventress was distracting the Jedi. That little Togruta was insane!

They were few meters away from the frigate's docking ramp. If it was not for the need for a brief detour to open the hangar doors they would have been on board by now.

The pair gawked when an escape pod screamed through the opening in the belly of the Venator and skidded to a screeching halt nearby. Its airlock was torn away and a figure in black jumped out. Captain Argyus grabbed the neimoidian by the neck and used him as a live shield against the unexpected visitor.

**=RK=**

'I couldn't believe that worked!' I thought when I exited the escape pod and faced the traitor and the prisoner.

Using it to sling around the cruiser and to enter the hangar while the escape attempt was nearly successful had actually worked! It was good enough that after that memory of Darth Vael I had enough control over the Force to steer the small pod on the needed course.

"Viceroy. It is not polite to snub our hospitality in such a way. We were just getting to the interesting part."

"You want him alive. So we are going to board this ship and leave peacefully." The commando tried to appear tough.

I just smirked.

"That ship already left. There are three Separatist frigates on the way and the reinforcements from the planet won't reach us before them. With this cruiser crippled the only reason they are not blowing us away is Ventress."

"Then surrender and I may yet show you mercy!" sneered Gunray.

"You are unlucky little bugger. You know my secret, Viceroy and I do not want your master to know that I am Sith at least for now."

Before either of them could react I threw my lightsaber at them. I gently willed its activation button to press down and its blade activated mid-flight. It speared them both.

The feeling of their shock and despair as they comprehended that this was the end of their path was like a sweet wine for my senses. But I had no time to enjoy the destruction of two minor enemies.

"Captain, do you copy?" I spoke in the comm unit build in my helmet.

"Who is this?"

"Delkatar Veil. I'm with the Jedi. I have an idea of how to even the odds a bit but I need everyone who knows how to pilot a fighter here yesterday."

"I'll give the order. We need all the help we can get. The main reactor is scrammed. We are on auxiliary power and won't last long against these odds. The only reinforcements that will reach us on time are a squadron of fighters escorting a wing of bombers. Then an Acclamator few minutes later. The rest of the task force won't make it here before it's too late."

"So what's new?! Just get me these pilots. And turn the ship so the lower hanger is hidden from the Sep's view."

**=RK=**

**Munificent class frigate Revenge**

**Near Rodia**

**Outer Rim**

General Grievous glared at the crippled Venator on which his target waited. Gunray, that worthless worm. Hopefully he'll get himself killed this time. However, the Viceroy was not what interested him. That Sith spawn that cut off his limbs was said to be on board that ship! But he could not just blast it into little pieces! Not with Dooku's precious apprentice there. If he did so the Sith would have what was left of his guts for dinner. Another failure so soon after the debacle with the Malevolence wouldn't be tolerated. The General seethed quietly.

His Task force was racing towards its prey. All fighters were already launched as a screen covering the two scores of boarding craft. With any luck he'd have the man who humiliated him so easily!

"Uh, sir. A frigate class ship just appeared behind the cruiser. Now its launching fighters."

"Blast them all! Fire!"

Grievous watched as his droid fighters and the turbolasers which would bare fired on the approaching red frigate. To his surprise, the Torrent fighters were using the shadow of the small ship as a cover from the heavy barrage.

The frigate was speeding up, obviously hopping to somehow survive the onslaught long enough to escape into hyperspace after covering the small craft. He knew that it was very likely that Gunray was on board that ship so he ordered a Munificent to physically block its flight.

If he could he would have grinned. The frigate's shields were straining and the craft was unlikely to survive passing through his formation. And with the speed it had gained it was too late to try breaking off. That left only the Republic fighters as a threat but they'd be dealt with by his own after the boarding ships were all over the Venator.

**=RK=**

I grinned. The frigate I was controlling was holding a bit better than expected. The shields were tatters but I had dumped all power either in them or the overloading engines. In front of me the closest Munificent, which was the on the right flank of the enemy Task force was becoming huge. The small fleet's commander had maneuvered its ships to prevent the frigate from jumping into hyperspace. Physical objects on the way tended to do that.

The frigate shook as a stray turbo-laser bolt slipped through a gap in its failing shields but it was too late to stop it. I watched with a smile as the armored nose of the CIS ship raced towards me. Even if the collision did not take out the Munificent, it would shatter its shields and permit the Torrents to salvo their concussion missiles in its fragile bridge.

All I could see was the bulk of the enemy frigate rushing towards me then everything went dark.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**AN: This chapter was betaed by Dymian on FF net. Thank you for the splendid work!**

**Phase 05: Through Passion I gain Strength**

**=RK=**

**Part 1**

**Republic cruiser Tranquility**

**Rodia**

**Outer Rim**

I fell on my hands and knees panting. My sight was covered by black spots which were slowly dissipating. I took a deep breath as the darkness that enveloped me when the Consular frigate slammed in the Munificent bled away. I could see a distorted image of the deck plating which was few centimeters from my forehead. I groaned. As Darth Vael it was not exactly trivial to pull off such stunt, yet it had never left me so exhausting. Controlling a ship through the Force and guiding it to kamikaze an enemy frigate was an unexpectedly draining experience. So I wasn't up to Vael's standards as far as raw power was concerned.

Despite the weeks I've been in this universe and the memories I've got from my Sith phantom, my mind and body were still not up to the task of emulating everything Vael was able to do. However it was not like I had much of a choice. I couldn't afford few relatively quiet months dedicated to training. I had too much to do.

I willed my trembling body to move and stood up with a gasp. All my muscles ached as if I had tried to physically move the kriffing frigate!

I was stumbling as I made my way to the only remaining fighter on the deck. The way the Tranquility was shuddering as it was bombarded or boarding ships slammed into its hull did not make my life any easier.

**=RK=**

The Tempest's power-plant roared to life while I was busy strapping myself in its seat. My mind was using the Force to manipulate its controls while I made myself ready for more combat. I checked the seals of my armor and its oxygen supply before plugging in the line to the fighter's air-tank. The familiar sound of the star-fighter's engines coming to life was reassuring.

The machine in which cockpit I stood rose up and glided over the deck as I guided it to the hangar exit. I forced the engines to full military trust and the Tempest darted into the void. I emerged into a storm of turbo-laser fire as the two operational CIS frigates pounded the failing shields of the Tranquility.

My fighter banked over the superstructure of the Venator and I got my first good look of the battle. If you could call it that. There were only seven Republic star-fighters trying to hold a full wings of vultures. The only good news was that the first group of reinforcements were couple of minutes away. A full wing of twelve bombers with their escorts.

I plunged straight into the chaos. My Tempest swung in a reckless maneuver as I pushed it to the limits of its maneuverability. I flew left pulling a turn that would have squashed me if it was not for the inertial dampeners and flew behind a pair of vultures which were strafing the armored bulk of the cruiser. The droid fighters flew closer to the hull of the Republic capital ship in an effort to escape destruction.

The laser cannons of my Torrent came to life and discharged lines of green death. Pulses of coherent light racked over the engines of the right vulture and it went up in a short conflagration of vaporizing metal and burning fuel. Its buddy headed for the command towers of the cruiser in attempt to either ram the bridge or evade my fire by flying around the pylons supporting the command deck. The vulture did not get far because its right wing pod was shaved off by a long stream of fire. I released the trigger and watched in satisfaction as the enemy exploded.

**=RK=**

Ranger Three, the ranking surviving clone pilot was cursing quietly. He did not know whose idea was to send Tranquility for this mission. Not with understrength and green crew. The first boarding attempt was bad enough with two force users cutting a swath through Green Company who had come aboard as additional security. He and his mates had cheered when one of those kriffing hut spawn were shot and cut to pieces by that mysterious Jedi and few of his clone brethren. That however had been a short lived joy. Soon three Munificents and a whole bunch of fighters and boarding ships rained all over the cruiser that was home for Ranger squadron.

On the bright side, thanks to the crazy idea of Veil, the Jedi, one of the Sep frigates was mission killed and it looked like that the Tranquility might last until the backup arrived. However that would have been academic for him and his men. Or so he thought. Another Torrent had flew from the bow hangar and was tearing apart the clankers.

A minute ago Ranger Two thought that he was a goner. He had four of the vultures on his tail and despite his best efforts the droids were coming closer and closer to rendering him in squishy space debris. He could not do much. Not when the remains of his squadron were fighting for their own lives.

However it was not his time to die. Two of the pursuing vultures were blown out of his space by a pair of concussion missiles. Then a third was shredded by a short burst of devilishly accurate laser fire. The last machine tried to nail Ranger Two before it was destroyed but the droid fighter was shattered before being able to kill the clone pilot.

"This is Delkatar Veil. We need to keep distracting them for few more minutes and then the bombers will be all over them. Don't get yourselves killed boys! "

With those words the Jedi had darted away in pursuit of another clanker.

**=RK=**

**Engineering**

**Republic Cruiser Tranquility**

**Near Rodia**

**Outer Rim**

The reactor chambers of the Vindicator were on fire. The lightning was off and Jedi Master Ti could see only thanks to the orange illumination hurled by the dancing flames. She had a gas mask on her face which helped her deal with the toxic fumes filling the engineering room without her having to expend Force energy to deal with whatever poison was in the air. She was holding a defensive position over the prone form of Padawan Tano who had the misfortune to pass too close to a mine placed by Ventress. The warning through the Force came too late for the young woman to escape unscratched. Ahsoka was stunned by the detonation and then hurled at nearby wall by a powerful telekinetic push. To make it even worse, the assassin had cut the huge coolant pipes passing under the ceiling and hurled them at the younger Togruta. Tano was stunned and pinned down with a broken leg.

Ventress was stalking towards the Jedi Master with a mocking smile on her black lips.

"You won't be able to save her, Jedi. She'll die as she should."

Shaak Ti huffed. What's with Sith and monologues, anyway?!

"I recognize your style, assassin. It's Dooku's. But you use it in an unrefined and crude way. I'll demonstrate."

The Jedi Master surged forward without a warning. It was a little known fact but Shaak Ti was possible the best blade-mistress the Jedi Order had. She, not unlike Dooku, was a master of Makashi.

Her attack surprised Ventress. Asajj was put on the defensive under its ferocity. Shaak Ti used a short, economic motion to deflect the left handed lightsaber of her opponent and then she parried the right one before kicking Ventress in the stomach with a Force empowered strike. The assassin was thrown back and struck the armor covered the crippled reactor with a dull "thud". The Jedi master did not let the Sith recover and was upon her enemy. She pulled Ventress with the Force and sidestepped the flying force user. Shaak Ti's blazing blade flashed in azure ark and slashed through the saber hilt of Asajj's left hand weapon. It coughed few sparks and died.

Before the assassin could land she was pulled from the back. This time she could twist mid-flight and parried a deadly strike with a desperate sweep of her remaining weapon. But that did not prevent her from hitting the reactor housing for a second time. Hard. She stumbled to her feet with a groan and used a desperation fueled surge of Force to jump towards the ceiling. No matter how she loathed the thought, Ventress knew that she should retreat. The short but intense combat against the two Jedi had taken its toll upon her. She was unscratched if you discount her bruised ribs but she had to use too much of the Force in order to keep up with the two Togruta females. Her muscles were screaming with exhaustion. With a vile curse, Asajj bounced from the ceiling and darted towards and open air-vent.

She threw her remaining mines back in the engine room as a parting gift for the kriffing Jedi and made good her escape.

Shaak Ti used a sheet of torn out plating to cover herself. It wasn't a moment too soon. Dual explosions rocked the compartment, raining flame and shrapnel over her makeshift shelter. Sensing that Ventress was no longer and immediate treat she ran towards the Padawan and raised the pipe pinning down the girl with a wave of her hand. The Force produced telekinesis was quite handy tool for any Jedi.

**=RK**

A Torrent was torn apart after it was bracketed by six vultures and the flack cannons of the pair of operational CIS frigates. Another destroyed a droid fighter before being unfortunate enough to pass in front of a turbo-laser bolt, ceasing to exist. I sent a pair of missiles at two enemy machines converging on my position and then flew straight at another duo. I used the superior agility of my fighter and the limited premonition granted me by the Force to spin my Torrent in a mad ballet that avoided all fire sent my way. My cannons smashed the incoming vultures in piles of floating scrap and I banked right in the last moment to avoid the pieces of enemy ships which were still holding the same vector.

I snarled when two full squadrons of enemy fighters decided to pay me attention. The engines of my machine vibrated and whined in protest as I pushed them beyond their design parameters. I headed straight at the crippled CIS frigate and led my pursuers in a deadly game as I flew through its superstructures as the vultures unleashed everything they got at me. Light blossomed all around me as laser bolts were hurled near my cockpit. Too near for comfort. And many more were blasting at the armor belt of the stricken Munificent.

I could feel how one and then another of my pursuers were not maneuverable enough (despite their machine reflexes) to avoid protrusions and weapon emplacements sticking out of he frigate's hull.

Then the clock shown on my HUD blinked green and I smiled and pulled the control stick towards me. My Torrent climbed "up" and the vultures followed... Straight in the sights of the escorts and bombers coming to our aid. My pursuers died smashed by missiles and a storm of laser bolts.

The command Munificent was closing to a point blank range of the Tranquility while the other frigate was maneuvering to present its broadside to the coming bomber strike.

I formed with the escort fighters and we moved on to screen the Y-Wings. All remaining vultures were converging against us. We flew down their throats with flack and fighters throwing hell at us. Second later the bombers followed us in the hurricane of steel and death.

**=RK=**

**Part 2**

**Cruiser Tranquility**

**Near Rodia**

**Outer Rim**

Shaak Ti used two pieces of metal torn out by the assassin's mines to brace the broken leg of the younger woman. She was helping Ahsoka to reach the med bay when their way was blocked by a group of Super Battle droids. The Jedi activated their lightsabers and Master Ti jumped at the attacking machines. Behind her, the wounded Padawan could not do much besides holding her ground and deflecting the multiple shots heading her way.

The Jedi Master soared over the blaster bolts, turned in the air in such a way that she was able to use the ceiling as a spring board to launch herself at the droids and jumped at the center of their formation. She sent wave of unseen force in front of her, which hit the unfortunate machines like a heavy freighter. The droid which was in the center of her attack crumbled like a tin can on which a giant had stepped on. The four robots closest to it were slammed in the ground with such a force that their legs snapped by the impact and multiple internal systems were damaged by the concussion. Then she was upon the surprised droids and her blade was a blur of color that left glowing pieces behind.

Ahsoka was doing her best to stay un-shot while the older Togruta woman was slicing and dicing the SB droids into piles of glowing scarp. She wondered how long, if ever, would take her to reach a similar level. The Jedi Master was amazing! Skywalker's apprentice dealt with three droids by sending back their blaster bolts while Master Ti had demolished the rest of the enemy force.

**=RK=**

One of these days I should stop getting myself in such sticky situations. I was on point, leading twenty eight fighters and twelve bombers against about a hundred vultures which had arrayed themselves in a defensive screen between us and the closest Separatist's frigate.

Missiles raced in front of our charging Torrent's and quarter of the enemies were smitten down by concussion explosions. Then they were upon us and there was no more time for thinking. Only the endless hours of training and steel discipline held the clones together as we mixed with the droid fighters. A vulture was splintered by my cannons. A Torrent disintegrated under the relentless fire of no less than eight clankers. The bombers blasted away a whole wing of droid fighters which tried to meet them head on. None of the Y-Wings suffered something more than a mildly depleted shields in that exchange.

While I was chasing a vulture, I saw three clone fighters mixing with nine of their CIS counterparts. They wiped each outer in an orgy of laser blasts and concussion missiles. My cannons carved up the enemy I was pursuing and I went after a droid fighter that was giving hell to one of the few surviving star-fighters of the Tranquility's compliment. I nailed the machine with a lucky strike that immolated its fuel reserves but it was a moment too late. Three crimson laser bolts slammed in the engine of the clone Torrent and the Republic fighter fell apart as its power-plant exploded.

I watched helplessly as a bomber was torn to pieces by four vultures before it was their turn to die as missiles consigned them to the endless void. I blasted a target of opportunity and flew behind the attacking bombers in order to provide them with some small amount of cover.

The immediate space was filled with dying fighters and blast of flack cannons. None of that phased the bomber pilots and they released their payloads at point blank range of the Munificent. The light purple, almost pink proton torpedoes blazed for few moments before slamming in the armored underside of the frigate. The star ship visibly shook as a long row of explosions blossomed all over its flank.

I had the impression that the Frigate stood frozen in place for a long moment before something inside it gave away and a massive internal explosion broke its back. Its forward section was sent spinning downwards relative to its previous course, while its aft continued moving on its old vector thanks to the engines which were active for the next five or six seconds. Then they flicked off and on few times before detonating and shattering the aft part of the Munificent.

I could hear the clones cheering on the comm. I chuckled at their enthusiasm.

"Great work men! Only one more to go. Bombers form up for another attack run. I want half the fighters with me on as escorts. The rest of you clean up this space from clankers!"

"Yes, sir!" came the thunderous response.

Those fellas were much livelier than the average clones I've met so far. I kind of liked their attitude.

For a short while it looked like that we had the upper hand. Vulture droids were being destroyed left and right and the bomber run at the last enemy frigate was well on its way. There were not enough droid fighters left to blunt the attack, much less stop it. Then as you might guess everything went wrong.

Two more Munificents jumped out of hyperspace and started disgorging waves of vultures.

"All escorting fighters, form on me. We are going to intercept our new friends. Bomber wing take out that ship!" I ordered and banked left towards the forming waves of enemy fighters.

Behind us the Y-Starfighters continued forward and ran a gauntlet of flack fire and the vultures from the initial Task Force who were enterprising enough to jump at them despite the remaining Republic fighters with which they were dog-fighting. Four of the bombers were smashed by enemy fire but the remaining strike craft blew away the aft section of the frigate leaving it dead in space. The crippled ship drifted out of control.

At the same time I was leading fourteen Torrents against the first wave of fresh droid fighters. There were more than two hundred of the buggers. The shadow of Vael that was lurking in my subconsciousness was whispering that the smart thing would be to cut my losses and jump to hyperspace. That however meant leaving Ahsoka and Shaak Ti to certain death. After the losses they suffered it was a sure thing that the CIS forces would blast apart the Venator and get away before more Republic ships came to the party.

The cannons of the fresh frigates rotated, paused for a second and unloaded everything they got at the crippled Tranquility. The shields of the Republic cruiser somehow held up to that moment but after the first barrage they were no more. Turbo-laser fire struck the helpless Venator and small suns were born over its upper hull as the energy bolts discharged their fury on the armor belt. Turrets were blown clear away. Spikes of light and fire shattered armor plates. Few heavy shots impacted at boarding ships still embedded in the hull and their immolation tore out huge chunks from the metal skin of the cruiser. Its command towers received sic direct hits and disappeared in the hearts of crimson tinted explosions.

For me that was a side note. I was too busy fighting for my life to pay proper attention to Tranquility's final hour. The missiles we shot at the approaching armada found their marks but the thirty vultures they blew away were a drop in the ocean compared to the number of enemies hurling themselves at us. My Torrent shook by near misses. Its engines screamed in protest as I overloaded them in an attempt to get every bit of speed they could grant me. My finger was firmly pressed on the cannon's trigger and I did not let go. A vulture was turned into a flaming wreck, then another. Clone fighters ceased to exist under the guns of dozens vultures.

I shot two more missiles without waiting for a positive lock. One slammed into a droid fighter flying straight at me. The other missed but forced a vulture to get out of its way.

There were only four more killing machines between me and the end of the swarm. The first was immolated by laser light like a moth. The next died speared by my last missile. My Torrent weaved around the blasts of the third when we both scored hits. The vulture was sliced into three flaming parts by my cannons but not before blasting my right wing into oblivion. My fighter spun madly while I fought with its heavy controls. I snarled when red laser bolts flew my way. The first wave of droids fighters were dispersing and sweeping around in broad turns. Then it disappeared in a fireball when a missile struck it next to its robot brain.

I could see on my scanners that only two other Republic fighters had survived our insane charge. Granted, we took out more than a quarter of the enemies and broke their attack run on our bombers but that was all to heavy price to pay. The remaining five Torrents and the Y-Wings were forming up and flying at the dissipating vulture formation but that would be all to late for us. The second wave of droid fighters was almost upon us.

**=RK=**

Shaak Ti managed to get Ahsoka to the med bay, where one of the clones was now busy with patching the Padawan's leg. There she found the remnants of Green Company which was smashed by a Dark Jedi and waves of battle droids and commandos. Only seven men were combat effective and just three of them were un-wounded. She grimaced. The mission had gone to hell and if what she sensed through the Force was correct, their situation was going to become even worse.

A minute and eleven SB droids later she was proven right. The captain ordered them to abandon ship before the comm-link was cut and the cruiser started shaking under heavy bombardment.

Shaak Ti and Ahsoka managed to levitate ten of the wounded to the nearest escape pods while thirteen more were brought by the remaining troopers and the medics. That's when the corridor through which they came was smashed by enemy fire and they were cut off from the med bay by sealing armored doors. Master Ti stumbled when she felt the wounded still in the med bay winking out as the ship was shaken by another hit.

"To the escape pods! Now!" she shouted and hurried with moving in the wounded they managed to rescue.

When they launched from Tranquility, the Jedi Master was appalled by the damage that the cruiser suffered. Seconds after they left a creeping barrage of turbo-laser fire smashed the part of the ship they were moments ago.

She looked out through the small window and saw the remains of crippled or destroyed CIS ships and hundreds of enemy fighters chasing after the few Republic fighters and bombers that were still active.

Ahsoka, who was piloting the pod had to maneuver it around floating and smoldering debris from space ships and vultures shooting at anything moving that did not have CIS IFF.

**=RK=**

I regained some semblance of control over my damaged fighter. The pair of clone piloted fighters and me had precious few seconds until the two armadas of vultures would be upon us. I desperately looked for a way out of this deathtrap. My sight fell on the two frigates behind the second wave of enemy fighters. It was insane. With no real chance to reach them. The only other alternative I had left was to do a blind hyperspace jump.

A glance at the panel showing me the status of the hyperdrive told me that there was no way out. My FTL engine was down. Whether it was busted even before I flew out of the Tranquility or the hit that blew of my wing was to blame was irrelevant.

"Boys, follow me in. We are heading straight for the hangar of the nearest Munificent. Our current position is untenable."

"Affirmative, sir. Who wants to live forever?" joked one of the clones.

"I do. Preferably." chuckled the other.

We flew against the swarm of vultures between us and the enemy frigates. Behind us dozens more droid fighters were rushing to dispose of us. The Force literally screamed a deafening warning that almost stunned me.

**=RK=**

**Part 3**

**Short time ago**

**Rodia**

**Outer Rim**

A nineteen years old, wet behind the ears ensign was surveying the bridge of the Acclamator Dauntless. To be fair, he should not even be there – the young man had graduated from the Naval Academy on his home world of Axxila only five short weeks ago. He found himself assigned to the GAR when the Senator of his world decided to show his support for the war by arranging most of the graduating class to "volunteer" for duty with the fleet. The green officer was called Firmus Piett. He was a short, brown haired man with piercing black eyes.

The ensign had the pleasure to be one of only three officers assigned to the Dauntless who were not clones. Those were the Captain, one Gram Tager, an experienced Corellian spacer with decades of service in that systems defense fleet. The other, was one of the lieutenants – Lars Robat. The rest of the crew, without exception were wearing the same brown faces. That of a mandalorian bounty hunter if the rumors were true. At least the clones usually knew their jobs though most of them, at least on his ship, lacked creativity and tended to do things by the book.

Piett was left to tend the shop, while the rest of the command crew were on a briefing in the capital, which was mostly used as an opportunity to chill off after the boring patrol they were conducting. Even now, when reinforcing Rodia and hunting down the few stray clankers left, and providing humanitarian aid to the starving population it was not a major change of pace for the starship officers. Most if not all ground operations were conducted by the clone commanders and their subordinates.

As the new man, so to speak, Firmus got to draw the short stick and remained as the ranking officer on board. However he was not particularly disappointed by that. Rodia was a hot, wet planet which was covered by swamps. Not his favorite climate. So he was content to remain on the bridge of the Acclamator where he was enjoying the blessings of the environmental controls which kept the inside of the ship pleasantly cool.

The Ensign was checking one of the endless reports which go hand in hand with running a major spaceship, this one dealing with the supply state of the cruiser. The Dauntless was an experimental Acclamator, a hybrid between carrier and assault ship which was able to deploy both ground forces and V-19 Torrent starfighters. Which, while useful depending on the situation, was hell on the logistics front.

Firmus was finishing a report showing the supply state of the fighter wings stationed on his ship when a message came in. The Venator that was transporting Nute Gunray, one of the leaders of the Separatists to Coruscant was under attack. For some reason the cruiser had not jumped to hyperspace shortly after getting the prisoner aboard and now its captain and crew were paying the price.

The young man was gripped by indecision for a few handful of seconds. At least a third of the ground troops were still on board as well as a lot of equipment and two squadrons of starfighters. The enemy attack was occurring over the side of the planet where the Dauntless and few other assault ships were landed. So he was on board one of the few Republic cruisers that could respond to the distress call in short amount of time. The only force that could do so faster was the cap flying in low orbit of the planet but that was only two squadrons of Torrents and a single wing of bombers. It might be enough to help the Tranquility deal with the three reported enemy frigates. A Venator with such support was a Match for so few Munificents. But the cruiser was reported to be boarded so it was all academic.

"Raise the ramps! Prepare for emergency launch! I want all fighters ready for combat yesterday!" Piett started snapping orders.

One of these days it may be his ship in distress and he hoped that whoever Republic captain was around would choose to assist.

**=RK=**

The Dauntless was breaking orbit carried by its powerful engines. The navcomputer was already busy with calculating vectors for a combat micro-jump. To Piett's unpleasant surprise it appeared that he and his ship were the fastest to respond if you do not count the CAP which was already on the way. The next ship, another Acclamator, that would be able to launch won't arrive for fifteen more minutes. It was a bloody eternity considering that the Tranquility was crippled and her captain was shouting frantically for support. Apparently one of the boarding parties was able to damage the reactor which had scrammed. With boarders running rampart and the main power out of the equation, the Venator did not have a chance.

Piett was watching on the holographic displays framing the bridge a representation of the vicious battle. The fighter compliment of the besieged cruiser had managed to knock out one of the enemy frigates and now, assisted by the cap and the bombers were attacking a second. For few short seconds it looked like that the Dauntless would arrive in time to assist with mopping up the enemy fighters. The second Munificent was shattered by a massed torpedo strike when two more CIS frigates jumped into the fray. They immediately launched their vulture compliments and suddenly the tide of the battle had changed.

"They did not stand a chance." muttered the clone manning the sensors control station.

"Navigation, I want a hyperspace jump plotted for right there." Piett pointed to a specific place on the holographic display. "Weapons, I want you to open fire at this formation of droid fighters the moment we complete transition. "

**RK=**

**Battlefield near Rodia**

**Outer Rim**

I pulled up the control stick of my fighter with all my might and in a fit of desperation used the Force to help steer my sluggish Torrent. It pointed its nose upward and headed onto new a vector under the thrust of its over-stressing engines. It was not a moment too soon. A white and red colored mountain of armor and weapons appeared in front of me. I felt the belly of my fighter scrapping on its hull and I was nearly thrown out of my seat to bounce around the cockpit despite the shock webbing keeping me in place. The lost wing turned out to be an unexpected boon when I nearly struck a turret mount as it flashed by me on the right. If the wing was still intact that collision would have been the end of me.

I pulled out of my climb and smiled in relief. As I passed near the single bridge pylon of the Acclamator that had just saved my life (and nearly smeared me all over its hull) I glanced a relieved looking young officer on the bridge. Surprisingly he was not a clone.

But I had no time to ponder his identity. The second wave of CIS fighters were too close to pull out. They ran headlong into the onslaught of the close in weapons of the assault ship which was modified to carry twice the normal quantity of flack cannons. As the formation of vultures approached they were swallowed by the firepower arrayed against them. A wall of explosions, which was spiting flaming broken hulks was flying towards the cruiser. A third of the vultures were smashed to rubble when they found themselves without any room to maneuver. Close to another third were unable to evade the armored bulk of the Acclamator and slammed into it. They wrecked some of the gun emplacement but beyond that all they did was to dent the armor. The droid fighter simply had not attained enough velocity to seriously damage the cruiser. I along with my two companions who managed to evade running headlong into the Acclamator pounced gleefully on the disorganized remains of the second vulture wave.

My grin became wider when I saw the assault ship lowering its forward facing ramp and launching fighter squadrons while exchanging broadside fire with the remaining two frigates.

I turned left and shot up a vulture unlucky enough to fly right in front of my fighter.

That's when Mr. Murphy decided to rear his ugly head and end my dog-fighting days in that particular Torrent. My fighter's frame had sustained too much abuse in the short battle and it started falling apart around me. First, the left engine gave up, followed by the cockpit lightning up like a Christmas tree with warning lights. The close encounter with the Acclamator had done much more damage to the underside of my ride that I first thought. I concentrated on the Force and used its energies to stabilize my fighter for few more seconds as I flew along the starboard of the assault ship and headed for its open landing ramp. Around me the Acclamator's shields blazed blue as they struggled to disperse the titanic energies bombarding them. My heart threatened to jump out of my chest – it was beating that fast while I was struggling to pilot the barely responsive Torrent and to maintain its remaining structural integrity by using my will alone.

I was keenly aware of how close my fighter was to shattering under its own momentum. If it had suffered the same damage in atmosphere, I'd be a goner by now. The Torrent was shaking as if I was flying through a hurricane. There were a lot of vital pieces that were still in place and working only thanks to the Force energies keeping them together.

I banked under the nose of the cruiser and my wounded craft managed somehow to remain in one piece (more or less) as I guided it towards the closing ramp. The two still working engines whined piteously for one last time and went quiet forever while I was struggling not to smash into the fast approaching deck.

The canopy covering the cockpit blew away after I struck the plastic covered ejection button. The micro repulsor placed under my seat activated and I was catapulted away from the fighter. By sheer dumb luck the Torrent managed to survive long enough to carry me through the air retaining force field. It hit the hangar deck and rolled around spilling pieces of its fuselage in all direction. The few clones who were near the crash jumped away in search of cover.

My seat tumbled through the air and I was doing my best to gently bring it down (and myself, of course). In the end I telekinetically unlocked the straps keeping me in place and jumped to the floor. It proved far easier than halting the momentum of the spinning chair and floating it down.

Once I was securely on my feet I watched with amusement how my seat bounced off the armored nose of an artillery walker. Then I raised my hands in a non-threatening manner when about a platoon of clones pointed their blasters at me. They did not appreciate my entrance and messing up their orderly ship.

"I am Delkatar Veil. I'm with the Jedi who were escorting Nute Gunray to Coruscant. I want to thank your captain for his timely intervention."

"The captain is not on board. Ensign Piett has command." said a clone lieutenant.

Interesting. Was that Firmus Piett, the fella who would have become a captain and later Admiral under Vader's command, in that future that would no longer happen?

"Lieutenant, please patch me to your commander."

**=RK**

"This is Ensign Piett, acting commander of the Dauntless. Who am I speaking with?" asked the young officer without moving his eyes from the tactical display. "Target their starboard hangar with the next couple of salvos. I don't want that frigate launching any more small craft."

"This is Delkatar Veil. I am with the Jedi escorting Gunray. "

"And? I hope that this is not a social call. I am a bit busy right now." Firmus nearly snapped at the stranger.

This was his first real space battle, one in which he was in charge of the whole ship, no less. It was no surprise that he was on edge.

"The Viceroy is dead. I want to borrow a few of you LAAT's and visit one of the remaining frigates. "

The first thought of the ensign was that this Veil character was insane. Or Jedi. Perhaps both. Then he considered the idea. If the battle continued as it was, soon the Republic would have space superiority and leave only the Munificents as threats. However the bomber wing was decimated and the Dauntless had a third of its heavy guns replaced with additional flack cannons. It was great for dealing with that damn vulture swarm but it also meant that he did not have the firepower to batter the shields of the second Munificent before the frigate escaping if it chose to do so. The other one, with which his ship was trading broadsides was another matter. At this short range the CIS craft did not stand a chance. It was a good thing that the Acclamator class had a novel shield design consisting of multiple redundant generators. That Dauntless a huge advantage versus its enemy in the point blank slugging match they were engaged in.

"Get few gunships out to gather the Tranquility's escape pods before the clankers blow them up out of spite." Piett ordered and then turned his attention on the unexpected guest on his ship. "What are you planning to do with my men, Veil?"

The ensign raised an eyebrow when he heard the idea of the man. It was audacious and explained why he wanted to risk his life for taking a single enemy frigate when the battle was all but won. It was only a matter of time before the Separatist space forces were reduced. Unless heavy enemy reinforcements came in the next six or seven minutes before additional ships from Rodia arrived.

**=RK=**

**Part 4**

**Republic Assault Ship Dauntless, near Rodia, Outer Rim**

To my pleasant surprise Piett agreed to loan me couple of platoons and transports for my idea to go after Grievous who I felt was able to somehow reach the second Munificent. I was able to perceive his location in the last seconds before crashing on this ship but my mind was too busy at the time to consciously comprehend what I felt. But now, when I was not under the great strain needed to suspend the failing apart of my fighter I could feel the cyborg. His was a ghostly presence, not so different by the hundreds of droids manning the enemy frigates. Yet I could feel his general location. If my guess was right, the General had been on the Munificent that lost its aft section while I and most of CAP that came to our help were busy blunting the first fighter wave of the enemy reinforcements. Then, like the kriffing bugger he was, Grievous managed to get away from the crippled ship and fly to the one of the newly arrived frigates.

I wanted his metal hide nailed to the nearest conveniently placed flat surface so I came up with a plan to assault his new ship. Piett had agreed but refused to sent the LAAT's and the clones under his command until the enemy fighter strength was further reduced. As a result I was waiting with the two platoons which the ensign decided to loan me for the head clanker hunt.

I was with lieutenants CT-316 "Cat" of 36th Platoon and SNP-159 "Snape" of the 71st along with their senor NCOs. We were looking at a holographic image of Munificent projected by an emitter placed on a stake of crates. My plan was to disable the reactor of the frigate and thus prevent the ship from running into hyperspace or enacting a self-destruct. The fact that it would also cripple its shields and weapons was the icing of the cake. It also would mean that Piett would send additional forces to help secure the frigate. The Ensign was reluctant to deploy more of the forces he was responsible for before he was reasonably sure that the ship won't be able to either run or be blown away as a final act of spite. When you take into account that at the moment I was just a mercenary with no formal standing with the Republic I was glad that Piett had agreed to back the operation in the first place. After all as far as he was concerned I was an unknown variable. We were discussing what forces would be needed to achieve the secondary objective – capturing the bridge and Grievous if he did not come after us.

"Sir, unless we have more men or Jedi support, we won't be able to go after both targets. Not unless the Munificent is low on ground troops. Both platoons should aim to secure the reactors and only deal with Chief Clanker after additional troops are available." said Cat.

"That's why I said that the bridge is a secondary objective. If Grievous comes after us I'll deal with him. If not, we'll take the reactor and I'll go after him while you hold the engineering section. "I nodded. "I want at least half of the men coming with us to be carrying heavy weapons..."

**=RK=**

I was relieved when I sensed the presence of Shaak Ti and Ahsoka coming from an escape pod which was brought on board by a pair of LAAT gunships. I ran to the escape pod before it had been placed on the deck, followed by a group of medics. The life boat was filled like a can of sardines. The only hale people were the Jedi Master, a single clone from Green company and couple of doctors. The rest were all wounded in one fashion or another, most of them critically.

Ahsoka, who had her leg splinted gave me a sad smile.

"Please tell me that the worm did not escape." she pleaded.

"Gunray is toast." I gave her reassuring nod. "Master Ti, I plan to go and board the frigate on which Grievous took refuge. The commander of this ship agreed and will provide me with two platoons of clones of this operation. Do you care to accompany me?"

The older Togruta woman gave me a surprised look.

"How do you know that he is present?" she asked, clearly not convinced.

"I felt his presence before landing here. Taking him out will turn this debacle into a disaster for the Separatists. They already lost a lot of hardware for nothing. With Grievous disposed of the Republic will have a strategic advantage in this sector. It may even be enough to slow down or even outright break the current CIS offensive."

"It's a bold plan." Shaak frowned. "But it has merit. You are correct in your assessment of the situation. You should know that the assassin Ventress was on the Tranquility but managed to escape. She might be able to make her way to Grievous."

"Even better." I grinned under my mask.

"Taking out both of them should be beneficial for the Republic." she said after a long moment of silence.

While we were talking, the medics were busy transporting the wounded to the med bay. Tano was arguing with them but shut up when I turned my masked head at her.

"Ahsoka, go get that leg fixed. Right now you are not up to a space borne assault. Go."

She grumbled quietly but complied, to Master Ti's amusement.

"She's a little handful, isn't she?" asked the older Togruta.

"Ahsoka is teenager. Nothing surprising there." I shrugged.

"This is Ensign Piett. The enemy fighter number are sufficiently reduced to allow for your plan, Veil. You are free to deploy at your discretion. Don't get my men killed."

"You heard the boss, boys. Let's go!" I shouted and ran to one of the waiting LAAT's.

"May the Force be with you, Delkatar." whispered Shaak Ti and headed to another of the transports.

**=RK=**

Six LAAT gunships slid out of the forward ramp of the Dauntless and headed for the only one still intact CIS ship. They flew under the burning hulk of a Munificent frigate which was being pounded to pieces by the turbo-laser cannons of the Acclamator. Five Torrents flew as escorts for the boarding party. Their pilots were dividing their attention between visually scanning the surrounding space and watching the readings of their sensors. The two surviving bombers with their own escort were feinting an attack run at the targeted enemy frigate in order to divert the remaining unengaged enemy fighters and some of the flack cannon fire.

When the troop transports showed themselves under the superstructure of the mission killed Munificent that was the first target of The Dauntless, the Republic assault ship moved over the hulk and unloaded its guns at the side of the last enemy frigate. The targets were the flak cannons which could shoot down the LAATs. The enemy shields held under the first barrage, but the colossal energy discharge scrambled their sensors giving better chances to the clone pilots.

A flight of vultures pounced at the transports but it was shredded by the escorting fighters and the turrets of the gunships. One of the LAAT's was unfortunate enough to run straight into a flack barrage and its passengers, a third of 71st Platoon perished in a short lived explosion.

The gunships and Torrent fighters unloaded a barrage of missiles and laser fire at the shield generators mounted next to the open hangar bay in the middle of the enemy frigate. Small explosions blossomed as the defensive field struggled to disperse the energies assaulting it then failed with a bright flash of light. The generators were repeatedly struck by weapons fire and were annihilated in bluish explosions. The five remaining troopships flew in the hangar bay from which the atmosphere was being vented with a soundless scream. Moments after the last LAAT was inside, massive blast doors slammed shut behind it. On of the gunships strafed the distinct form of the personal fighter of General Grievous, which blew up spectacularly. The cyborg was not getting away that in it.

The first three gunships flew in a triangle formation and sliced to pieces every droid and vulture starfighter on the deck while the other two landed behind them and disgorged ten heavily armed clones apiece. The side doors of the still floating LAATs slid open and cables were thrown out. Two figures jumped out and landed lightly on their feet followed by more clone troopers who descended on the lines.

**=RK=**

**CIS Frigate Midnight Solace**

**Near Rodia**

**Outer Rim**

My armored boots hit the deck over a pillow made from pure Force. It felt like I was stepping down the stairs instead of jumping from over six meter height. Behind me Shaak Ti did the same and we were followed by rappelling clones.

"Lieutenant Cat, I want a squad of your men as well as the LAATs securing this hangar. It's our ex filtration point. I believe that neither of you wants to check if this ship is equipped with adequate escape pods in case we fuck up."

"Yes, sir!" the clone in overall command of the two platoons snapped a crisp salute.

"Master Ti. Bridge or reactor?" I asked the female Jedi who had came to my side.

"Bridge. I've seen enough of reactors to last me a lifetime." she muttered.

"Suit yourself. Take the 36th platoon with you. Grievous is bound to be on the bridge. I'll deal with the rest." I turned to a clone who had his white armor painted in color signifying his NCO rank. "Sergeant I want the rest of 71st platoon with me."

"Yes, Sir!"

**=RK**

I found myself leading ground forces natural, reassuring. It was like slipping into a well-practiced role which I knew almost better than myself.

The clones were moving in two columns along the corridor walls. In the vanguard and rearguard of the group were squads of four men armed with blaster carbines. They were acting as escorts for the heavy weapons teams which were carrying heavy blasters, rotatory cannons and a single missile launcher. That may have appeared as overkill, but I wanted my men to have the firepower to deal with groups of droidekas and Super Battle droids easily.

I was moving at the head of the column with a blazing lightsaber in my right hand. The few B-1s we faced so far fell easily to blaster fire while I deflected their shots back at them. I knew that the easy run would be ending soon. Grievous could not afford to let us take the reactor. Whether we wanted to blow up the frigate or capture it was irrelevant for him. He'd be kriffed anyway.

The first signs of heavier resistance were the ten SB droids which waited for in a nearby side corridor. Their attempt to ambush us failed miserably.

They shot two missiles at us. The projectiles appeared to be something like micro proton torpedoes – after being launched by a launchers mounted in their left arms, they took ellipsoid forms which blazed with light purple flames. My left hand shot forward and I channeled a wave of the Force through it which deflected the projectiles back towards their senders. I jumped back and raised a Force shield between my forces and the group of droids. The missiles detonated behind the leading pair of enemy machines and obliterated two thirds of their numbers. Three of the droids in the back survived somewhat intact but were thrown off their legs. The clone troopers made a short work out of them.

"Deploy mines in this corridor." I ordered and one of the clones who was a demolitions expert and was carrying various goodies that go boom in a huge backpack nodded and hurried to booby-trap the side passage. Unfortunately we had neither the time nor the ordinance to do so with every side corridor on our way. The only reason I wanted those mines laid down was that I was hearing metal legs moving over the deck from that direction. And from the corridor that was leading straight to the reactor I could sense a dark presence approaching...

**=RK=**

**Part 5**

**CIS Frigate Midnight Solace**

**Near Rodia**

**Outer Rim**

The direct way to our objective was blocked by a solid wall of Super Battle droids which had a group of four droidekas with deployed shields in front of them. Between the silver combat robots and the leading destroyers stood a lithe figure who was mostly hidden by a heavy black cloak. Her face was disguised with shadows cast by the hood of her mantle.

The clones following me took what little cover they could find and aimed their weapons at the enemies.

"Asajj Ventress. I wondered when I would run into you." I whispered barely restraining my irritation.

She was an obstacle that I did not need right now. Securing the reactors was paramount and the short platoon behind me would be unable to deal with that many droids fast. It was time for improvisation.

'I want a missile and combination of frag and Ion grenades all over them on my signal. I'll make sure that Ventress won't sent them our way.' I sent a mental message to the clones who turned their heads towards me in surprise. I gave them a small nod.

"So you are the man who has my master worried. I expected you to be taller."

I snorted. The idle banter could wait for later when we no longer had audience. I raised my left hand and smirked. Sparks of electricity appeared and started dancing around my palm. Ventress stiffened and took a step back.

The so called Force lightning, more commonly known as Sith Lightning. It was created by the ancestors of my kind a long time ago. Despite some misconceptions and the way it was often used, it was not strictly speaking an offensive power. It was crafted as a way to torture people. Using it as a weapon was un-efficient – the lightning needed much more power than the various other offensive techniques Sith had at their disposal in order to make it practical. However if you had the power to burn it was a useful trick to have on your disposal.

I was never interested in senseless torture, the bastards who engineered my wife's death being notable exceptions. Vael's wife damn it!

That's why I modified that technique for my own use. Instead of a wave of 'electricity' which was aimed at creating superficial burns and lighting all your nerves on fire, my variant was more condensed. It was carefully crafted to disable or kill as fast as possible with no power lost to theatrics or unnecessary sadism. Unlike some Sith I knew and had to work with, I knew that war and combat were no games played for one's amusement.

Thin concentrated lighting arched from my outstretched palm. It struck the droideka's shields and staggered the droids. A light tap of my telekinesis was enough to activate my shield. I reversed the grip of my saber to a backhand one and thrust my right hand forward.

"Now!" I shouted.

The clones were already acting. Grenades were thrown at the wall of robots followed by the distinct sound of missile engine igniting.

Despite its ferocity my lightning attack was little more than distraction. It scrambled the sensors of the destroyer droids and effected at least a bit the targeting capabilities of the SBs behind them. Their return fire was not accurate and my shields absorbed the blaster bolts that hit me. The four clones in the vanguard were not so lucky and fell after enemy shots carved up their armor and seared the flesh within. But it was too late for the droids. I accelerated the missile and grenades with a telekinetic push. What's more I was concentrating on enveloping the ordinance in spheres of Force energy which prevented Ventress attempt to throw the explosives back in our faces. I could feel her shock when she understood that her attempt had failed and death was sailing towards her.

**=RK=**

Shaak Ti growled quietly. She and the platoon accompanying her were in front of the armored doors leading to the bridge. There Grievous was waiting for them. He had four droids with gray cloaks and armed with staffs as bodyguards and a couple of dozen Super Battle droids as a backup. The General pointed at them.

"Kill them!"

The staff wielding droids jumped forward preceded by a hail of red blaster bolts. The clones wasted no time in returning fire. Master Ti sent a telekinetic wave at the approaching elite robots which halted them mid jump. One of their numbers was bisected by a line of blue energy shot from a blaster cannon wielded by a heavy weapons specialist. Another was staggered when a frag grenade hit it in the chest. It exploded in the next moment shredding the machine. But by then the remaining two elite droids were already in the air. The blast wave just gave the more speed as they flew at the Jedi and her clones.

Shaak Ti sidestepped on of the robots who used its momentum do deliver a powerful overhead strike with its staff. One of the electrified heads of its weapon struck the deck plating and purple energy arched from the place of the hit. Before it could recover from its unsuccessful attack, the droid was shot to pieces by three clones wielding heavy blasters. Those weapons could burn through droideka's shields in few hits. No matter how powerful its armor, the cyborg's guard did not have a chance when faced with such a firepower from point blank range.

The last of the elite droids faced with the Jedi. It waved its weapon in wide arks witch swept three clones off their feet. The Republic troopers were thrown back from the sheer force of the hits and remained laying where they fell.

Master Ti was holding standing her ground. Moving back even a step would leave the clones exposed. As it was the Super Battle droids had to be careful where they were shooting or risk hitting their comrade in the back. Shaak was dodging the sweeping strikes of the staff by hairbreadths. Her own attacks were parried by deft twists of the machine's arms which interposed parts of its weapon between her lightsaber and its body. To her surprise the staff was resistant to her blade.

She ducked under a strike which was aimed at shattering her skull. The sweeping enemy weapon instead hit the helmet of a clone trooper who went down without a sound. That was the fourth of her men that machine downed! For a split second she was gripped by frustration and rising anger. From her kneeling position after evading the last strike of the droid she raised her left hand.

The elite droid was lifted in the air and flailed wildly in surprise. She wasted no time and delivered a powerful upwards strike. She added more strength to her attack by jumping in the air. Her lightsaber hit the machine between the legs and sliced it as if it was made of butter, exiting from the top of its head after bisecting it in two.

Shaak Ti landed over the softly glowing parts of the scrapped droid and looked at the situation. Half of 36th platoon was down but they had decimated more than two thirds of the enemies.

Her satisfaction with the performance of the clones was short lived. Grievous choose that moment to join the fray. He retrieved two blue lightsabers from the depths of his gray cloak and jumped forward activating them mid-flight. Master Ti smiled at him and charged the cyborg. She rolled under his bulk and used the Force to puck him from the air and smash him in the deck. Blaster bolts splashed over the armor plating covering the General leaving half melted craters.

For the next few seconds the clones had to deal with the cyborg by themselves as the Jedi was busy deflecting blaster bolts and the remaining Super Battle droids. Grievous used that brief respite to jump over the fire of the clones and land in the midst of their vanguard. His blades flashed in semicircles in front of him and the closest four Republic troopers were cut to pieces by a whirlwind of laser swords.

The CIS commander tried to advance towards the remaining clones but found himself unable to do so. He twisted his neck so he could glance backwards and saw that the Jedi was deflecting blaster fire with the lightsaber in her right hand. Her free left arm was pointed at him and its fingers were twisted like claws. She was holding him with the kriffing Force!

That distraction cost him dearly. Grievous roared when a near miss melted a piece of his face mask and burned out his right eye. He stumbled to the ground when his left leg was shot to pieces by a blaster cannon. He threw one of his sabers at the clones but the blade shut down before the faintly smoking hilt hit the chess plate of the armored man to no effect.

Five of the clones shot what at first glance looked like grappling hooks at the crippled cyborg. Each of them was tipped by four digit claws which clamped at the General. A press of a button later Grievous shrieked like a damned soul as electricity coursed through his metal body and the flesh encased within.

**=RK=**

The front ranks of the droids blocking my and my men's path were annihilated in a series of rumbling explosions and pulses of Ion radiation. In fit of desperation Ventress had jumped forward arching her body over the thin wave of lighting with which I was bombarding the robot's ranks. The combined blast waves picked her and threw her with enough force that she passed through my lightning as struck the ground in front of my feet with a groan. Her cloak was smoking and I knew that if it was not for my helmet I would be able to smell the stench of seared flesh.

I pointed my crimson blade at her throat and smiled.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**AN: This chapter was betaed by Dymian on FF net. Thank you for the splendid work!**

**Phase 06: Hat-trick**

**Part 1**

**=RK=**

**CIS Frigate Midnight Solace**

**Near Rodia**

**Outer Rim**

Ventress was laying on the cold deck and panting in a painful effort to inhale enough oxygen in her straining lungs. The combination of shock wave and Sith lighting was racking her body with agonizing spasms. Her bleary blue eyes stared at the scarlet lightsaber blade pointed at her throat. Anger and regret fought in the midst of her very soul. She was on the ground. Defeated before being able to engage the enemy of her master. It infuriated her!

Yet Asajj knew that it was at least partially her fault. She had been too sure in herself even after facing that Togruta Jedi master earlier. She was arrogant and now was about to pay the price.

"Go ahead. Finish it." she was able to rasp amidst a coughing fit.

The lightning she was hit with was much worse than anything she experienced from Dooku or even his master. It was not so much the pain which was substantial. It was the damage that she could feel around her body and especially her chest. Cracked bones from the blast wave and seared flesh from the Dark side attack combined into deadly wounds. She knew that without immediate medical attention she was goner. It was harder to breathe with each passing heartbeat and all she could do through the Force was to slow down her demise and prolong the agony.

"It is not supposed to end like this!" at least that was what she tried to shout but only coughing and a spit of blood exited her lips.

**=RK=**

"This is such a waste." I muttered.

The girl was strong in the Force. Give her a few more years and proper training, and she could be something to watch. I grumbled at the schemes of Dooku and Sidious. What they were doing with her was a waste of talent. Pure and simple.

I placed my left hand on her chest in the valley between her breasts and concentrated on drawling the Light side of the Force. I could feel her wounds – burned flesh and damaged lungs, the cracked bones and myriad of old injuries which were not healed properly. If it was not for her strong connection with the force she would be somewhat crippled by the old wounds.

Her body shuddered under my hand. I saw her eyes dilating in surprise and a soft moan of relief escaping her lips as she was able to take in a breath without chocking. Her cracked bones mended under the caress of the Force. Burned and blackened flesh cracked to reveal a healthy pink tissue underneath. I could see the confusion in the assassin's eyes. She had expected either quick death or for me to enjoy her slow and painful demise as she succumbed to her wounds. I had other ideas for her future.

Few minutes later she was mended enough to survive without immediate medical attention. As I was ensuring that outcome my attention was divided between healing her and deflecting blaster bolts from the rear ranks of the Super Battle droids – the ones which survived the grenade barrage. They were mowed down by clones carrying heavy weapons who used me as a cover to unleash their substantial firepower.

"That's better, Ventress. We'll chat later." I said and my right fist, which was enhanced with the Force slammed in her left temple knocking her out. "Give me some covering fire." I ordered the clones.

I deactivated my lightsaber and placed my hands on Asajj's temples. Dark tendrils of pure force enveloped the Dark Jedi's head and spread all over her body. I poured substantial amount of energy in this technique and was satisfied when to my trained eyes Ventress was bound by midnight black chains of Dark side energies.

"I want two of you to carry her back to the hangar. For at least a day she won't be able to use the Force. Stun her every couple of hours just in case. Go!"

"Yes, sir!" a sergeant snapped a salute and motioned for one of the troopers to follow him.

They grabbed Ventress and ran back retracing our steps.

"Let's finish with this nonsense! Men, follow me!" I ordered and charged the remaining droids blocking our path after checking my shield indicator.

I threw my ignited lightsaber which spun before me in a sweeping ark which cut in two the first row of still standing droids. The blaster bolts of the machines which could keep with my speed splashed harmlessly on my defense field. I lifted the closest droid on the left and hurled it at a group of its friends knocking them all to the deck. I landed and rolled under a burst of red bolts just in time to catch my weapon as it returned from its flight.

I concentrated enough Force around my left fist for it to become a visible distortion around it and slammed it into the deck sending a shock wave down the corridor. The telekinetic onslaught threw all remaining Super Battle droids off their feet.

The clones from the 71st ran behind me shooting at the clankers. Within seconds the remained enemies were turned into a bunch of scrap.

"Good work. Let's move on!" I ordered and ran forward.

**=RK=**

Shaak Ti pulled back her lightsaber and the droid she had impaled fell to the ground. She looked around and allowed herself a small smile. Only seven men from the 36th platoon were still on their feet but the enemies in the vicinity were dealt with. There were only couple of tactical and B-1 droids left on the bridge which would be eliminated shortly. While the butcher's bill was high it was almost worth it. They had Grievous! The cyborg was twitching on the ground with its limbs shredded by blaster fire. Four of the remaining clones had their weapons aimed at the crippled CIS general.

"You did well." she congratulated the clones and slammed the blade of her lightsaber in the armored doors barring their entrance to the bridge.

The metal glowed yellow then orange and started melting. For a whole minute Master Ti stood that way until she judged that the blast doors were weakened enough. Then she send a strong telekinetic wave at the half melted armor and it was blown into the bridge showering the few remaining droids with pieces of glowing metal. She jumped through the hole, rolled and her sword arm snapped forward impaling a B-1 droid with her lightsaber. There were only five armed robots and they did not last as many seconds against her. She deflected back their shots which blasted them apart or used the force to smash them in the nearest conveniently placed bulkhead. Within seconds all resistance was eliminated and Shaak Ti was smiling sweetly at the only remaining droid – a tactical one who had its arms in the air and was slowly walking back towards a wall.

"Uh, oh. I'm doomed!" the machine bemoaned while shaking its head in apparent distress.

One of the clones who had followed the Jedi shot the droid removing its head. He shrugged when Master Ti gave him disapproving look.

"It gave me the creeps." said the trooper.

**=RK=**

**An hour later**

**Chancellor's office**

**Coruscant**

The former senator from Naboo was watching the holographic images displayed by the comm unit build into his ornamentally carved desk with a cheerful smile on his face. Inside he felt anything but happy. His plans were threatened like never before. The CIS general, who was to be used as a Boogie man in captivity as well as Dooku's pet! That was something that could not be borne!

However after that disastrous rescue attempt of the Viceroy, and may Gunray rot in the nine Corellian hells for eternity, another such stunt was unlikely to be successful. Not with both the Jedi and GAR high command on high alert.

That man, Delkatar Veil was a loose cannon who was becoming a threat. Unfortunately the newcomer had dealt with some of Palpatine's pawns and after engineered the capture of both Grievous and Ventress simply ordering the army to deal with him won't pass a smell test. Such an act would have the Jedi sniffing around and they might find what he was planning for them. That was unacceptable! On the other hand, one such as Sidious did excel in turning unfortunate situations in opportunities.

"This is splendid work you did, Master Ti!" exclaimed Palpatine with a smile on his face. No even a hint of his real feelings could be found on his face or in the tone of his voice. "What do you plan to do with the prisoners? They must be interrogated and Grievous must stand trial for his crimes. I need him on Coruscant. Showing this victory to the galaxy will do wonders for our cause!" exclaimed the Chancellor.

"We are already on our way. For security reasons we won't be disclosing our route."

"Yes. That is a sensible precaution after what happened at Rodia." nodded the old man. "

Sidious looked at the masked figure which was standing behind the right shoulder of the female Jedi. Whatever else the debacle at Rodia led to there was at least a small silver lining. The Dark Lord of the Sith now knew that Veil was a dangerous man who was more than a match for most of his pawns. He had to make different arrangements about him. Palpatine's smile widened a bit. Why change something that works?

"Master Veil, in light of your actions which were above and beyond the call of the contract you had with the Republic to protect senator Amidala, and that is something I want to thank you about as she is a personal friend, I have a proposition to you."

"You are honoring me with your gracious words, Chancellor." rumbled the distorted voice of the masked man.

"I want to offer you a commission in the ranks of the Grand Army of the Republic."

Veil tilted his head to the right at that.

"This is an interesting offer, sir. At what rank?"

"If I may be so bold to say, you demonstrated abilities that rival those of the Jedi. If the report you two and ensign Piett gave me is correct it was your forward thinking and bravery which led to the capture of those enemies of the Republic. When I take that into consideration I want to offer you the rank of General with the same authority the Jedi have."

Palpatine smiled like a kindly old man. If Veil accepted it would create friction between him and the Jedi. Only a blind man would be unable to see that he was a Dark side wielder. With that man in the army not only Sidious would have some control over him but would be able to ensure that he could be placed out of the way of his most important plans. If Veil proved unresponsive to the overtures Sidious planned to send his way and refused to join his side, well military operations were known to become disasters from time to time. Even the most powerful Jedi could be take out by massive numbers and firepower. It would be truly regrettable if something happened to that man... Hehe… Besides, Veil's presence would prove to be an additional distraction for the Jedi Council. A win-win situation for Sidious.

"It will be an honor to accept your offer, Chancellor." Veil gave a small bow.

"Splendid, my young friend! With you on our side the Separatists will regret the day they raised arms against the innocents of the republic! We should speak face to face when you arrive with your prisoners!"

With those parting words, Palpatine cut off the connection. He had to insure that Grievous and perhaps that foolish child Ventress were freed. He drummed his fingers over the wooden surface of his desk while thought who amongst his agents would be the best man for the job. Then he smiled when a plan formed in his crooked brain.

"Yes, that will do. If the plan is executed carefully not only it will take care of Grievous but it will also help my political agenda..." he muttered with a sinister smile on his face.

**=RK=**

**Part 2**

**Republic Assault Ship Dauntless**

**Hyperspace**

After the comm signal cut off I looked at the female Togruta in front of me. She turned around and I could see a frown on her face. For a moment there was a trace of distress in her eyes. If it wasn't for my connection with the Force I would not have noticed it. I guess that she was not looking forward to her next chat with the Jedi Council. Not only she had decided to listen to my suggestion to grab the Dauntless and make a run for Coruscant before someone who will remain unnamed for now, could sent another CIS fleet after us, without consulting with the Order leadership but now I was a Republic general with the same authority as the Jedi. Most of their contingency plans for dealing with me just went down the drain. Its one thing for the Order to arrest (and/or kill) a mercenary who they accuse of being a Sith. Doing so to a GAR general, one who had done more to derail the CIS plans in few short weeks than most of the Jedi combined did since the start of the war was something very different. Not to mention that it was I who led the boarding party who grabbed Grievous and Ventress... Gurney's demise was just the icing on the cake.

"I guess congratulations are in order, General." she said in an emotionless tone. Her face could have been a marble statue for all the expression it showed.

"Thank you." I deadpanned. "I hope that the Council won't be too pissed off with you."

"Why would they be?" she asked faking confusion.

"We both know that there were a lot of outcomes they hoped for when you were assigned as my babysitter but none of them ended with me becoming a Republic general. I do not need to spell to you what it means for the council."

She gave me a sharp nod and frowned in a way that reminded me of my late wife.

Vael's wife damn it all to hell! It was becoming harder and harder to distinguish between my memories and those of Darth Vael!

"I'll go check on Ahsoka and the prisoners. See you around, Master Ti."

I made a fast exit. Jedi or not, if she her temper was anything like Ashara's, I did not want to be in the vicinity when she was getting angry. I highly doubted that a spirited sparring session in which she tried to take off my head, followed by a make-up sex was in the cards in the foreseeable future.

**=RK=**

On my way to the medical bay I spoke with a clone sergeant and made a small detour to requisition a tac-pad, which was the SW universe answer to the tablets of my own world. It was much bigger and heavier from what one would expect but it had incredible processing power and storage capacity as well as build in comm which could interface with nearby hyper com terminals and had a lot of protection against hacking. It could survive many things short of a blaster bolt too. For a piece of military hardware the tradeoffs were generally worth it. It was close to soldier proof.

Which is something that can't be said for most if not all hardware on the Earth I came from.

I uploaded in it some "light" reading for Ahsoka. For good or bad she was stuck as a commander in the war. I doubted that she would request not to be sent to the front lines and even if she did it was unlikely that such thing would be granted. Considering that the kid was starting to grow on me I decided to do something that could help her remain in one piece.

The med bay was full with wounded clones. I could see long rows of bacta tanks in which people were floating. Each one of those devices had a heavily wounded trooper in it. The beds were full too and there were even makeshift sleeping bags on the floor on which wounded soldiers were laying. I knew that leaving Rodia immediately after we evacuated the CIS Frigate with our prisoners and wounded did not make any services to the harmed Republic troops but I could not risk another ambush. Not with such a prize on board.

As you could guess the medics who were up to their necks in wounded did not approve of my plan. On the bright side, they were able to stabilize most of the clones and the most severe cases were already in the tanks. That left a lot of people to be more conventionally (and slowly) treated. Ahsoka was one of those unfortunate souls. Her leg would have been mended after only couple of hours in bacta but now she was laying over a sleeping back in a corner of the room.

I stopped by the purple haired Cat who was being treated for plasma burns on his chest. The Lieutenant had suffered injury when one of the last Super Battle droids in the Reactor chambers hit a plasma conduit feeding the engines of the enemy Frigate with a missile. The resulting venting of super-hot gases clipped the armor of the man who fortunately enough was far so far away from the breach that he got away with only third degree burns when his chest plate was overheated. If he was closer his armor would have been no protection and the plasma stream would have cut him in half.

"Lt, how are you? Beyond the obvious." I waved at his wounds which were tended by a young, pink colored nurse from a species I did not recognize.

"I've been better, sir! Congratulations for the promotion, General!" he winced when he tried to give me a proper salute.

"I see that the rumor mill is still working at FTL speeds." I chuckled. "None of that while you are wounded, Cat. There is place for proper military protocol and it's definitely not while you are being patched up. You did great job leading the 71st."

"Thank you, sir. I just wish that more of the boys made it. At least we nailed the Chief Clanker!" He exclaimed and then groaned when he strained his burned chest muscles.

I gathered power from the Lights side from the Force over my hands and slowly moved my palms over Cat's burns. He hissed in pain when healthy tissue started growing under his crispy skin. The nurse who was tending him looked from a hand-held scanner to me and back with a stunned look on her face. She was babbling about something but I paid it no attention.

"Now, that's better." I groaned few minutes later. That stunt I just pulled was a bit too much after all the energy I used during the battles earlier that day.

"It's amazing! You cut weeks from his recovery time!" Exclaimed a doctor who had come to see what the commotion was about. "Can you do it for the rest of the wounded?" he asked.

"Unfortunately no. That wiped me out." I sad.

My legs were swaying and I had problems staying on my feet. That confirms it. I did not have the same endurance Vael had. Whether I would be able to match his feats in the future or not remained to be seen.

"I've never been trained as a dedicated medic. The energy I spent hastening Cat's recovery... Let's just say than I could have wiped few enemy platoons without becoming so tired." I muttered.

The doctor waved a scanner all over me and frowned.

"Indeed. You are showing signs of acute exhaustion. I recommend few days of rest. Preferably in bed. "

"You'll get no arguments from me doc. Unless the Sep's decide to visit us again."

The medic grumbled something about gun-ho soldiers that did not know better and loved to create more work for him.

"I'll just visit another patient of yours and make my way to a bed."

I went to Ahsoka who was looking at me with wide eyes.

"Delkatar...That was incredible! How did you manage to heal him!?"

"Some advanced techniques that could be taught in the academy if there was interest in them. Though what I know is technically aimed at self-healing. By helping Cat I used even more energy that I indicated to the Doctor."

"Wow. Can you teach me?!" she gave me puppy dog look with her huge eyes.

"After I get few day of sleep." I muttered. "Here." I gave her the tac-pad.

"What is this?"

"A small present to pass the time while you are recovering. Some essential reading if you want to be effective at leading troops. This war is just starting and I do not believe that you'll simply step away after you are well again."

"No." she frowned. "I've seen what the Separatist do. They must be stopped."

I nodded.

"Get well soon, kid. Get better."

I went to a nearby room where Ventress and Grievous were floating in bacta tanks. There was a squad of heavily armed clones at the door and another inside despite both of the prisoners being fed regular doses of strong sedatives. No one was taking any chances this time. I checked the bindings on the assassin's access to the force and was relieved that they were intact. Combined with the sedatives she should be out for at least a day. Enough time for me to get some rest.

**=RK=**

My next adventure started soon after the Dauntless exited hyperspace near Coruscant and we headed towards the planet escorted by few hundreds fighters and a battle group of Venators and their escorts. No matter what the Chancellor might have wanted, the GAR High Command was taking no chances.

Under normal circumstances, now that I was a general I should have been looking for weeks if not months of paperwork and debriefings before being assigned troops to command. The Clone Wars were far from normal conflict. What was happening in the last few days – was even stranger than "normal" for that war.

I was on the bridge chatting with Piett who struck me as a competent if a little too eager kid. If I managed to keep him alive I believed that he would have a bright future ahead of him. However for that to happen I had to take him under my wing for more reasons that you might guess. Some in High Command were pleased with his actions at what was becoming known as "The Battle at Rodia" thanks to the reporters. Yeah. They are a bloody menace in this universe too.

But the Captain of the Dauntless was far from happy that a green Ensign had taken the ship into combat without his permission. The fame that the kid was about to receive for his part in the battle where Grievous was captured was something that was infuriating that man.

Earlier that day I had walked on a pale Piett who was shouted down by a purple faced man in his late fifties. Or at least he would have been that old back on Earth. It was not a huge surprise to learn that the people here, at least the ones who could afford top notch medical help could live decades longer than the average back home.

The gist of the show was that if the Captain had anything to say about it Firmus would end back at his backwater world and not leave it until the war was over. That's when I decided to intervene.

"That's funny captain...?" I moved so I can be seen by the man on the other side of the channel.

"Who the kriff are you?! This is none of your business."

"Captain, you will introduce yourself and behave in a manner befitting a Republic officer! I am clear, mister!" I snapped at him.

The purplish color of his face subdued a bit and he gulped. It might be that it started dawning on him that he had made a mistake.

"I am Captain Hebok Lursa. Sir. Who are you?" He asked in quieter voice.

"General Delkatar Veil." I smiled thinly under my helmet.

"Sir! I am sorry for my conduct, Sir! It will not happen again!" He stammered. His face was pale with distinct greenish coloration.

"It better not, captain." I spat his rank as if it tasted something vile.

I waved my hand and the connection was cut off.

"I am sorry that you had to witness that, general." muttered Piett.

"I see that it was a special kind of 'joy' serving under that idiot. If I have anything to say about it you'll be transferred to my new unit. What you did at Rodia was a sweet piece of ship handling. So tell me, what is your opinion of the navy so far?"

"It's been a bit strange, sir. Not exactly what I expected when I graduated..."

Until arriving at Coruscant we talked about some his experience in the Republic army and his impression about the Acclamator class of ships. It was enough for me to like him and conclude that he was a bright kid.

**=RK=**

We and our escorts were making orbit when new orders came from the Chancellor's office. Me and Shaak Ti were summoned to meet Palpatine as soon as possible. We were about to meet him as well as members of the Jedi council. That was interesting. The paranoid part of my brain was screaming warnings. What were the Jedi up to? Or was that another plot by Sidious? Considering my new status I had two choices. Present myself to the Chancellor or ignore the 'polite suggestion' of my Commander in Chief. Neither of them was particularly good idea. I said goodbye to Piett and headed to the hangar.

**=RK=**

**Part 3**

**LAAT en route to the Senate Building**

**Coruscant**

I was strapped into a seat at the troop compartment of the gunship with Shaak Ti sitting next to me. We had barely exchanged couple of words after my induction in the Republic army. I wondered if a chat between her and the council was the reason for the meeting we were about to attend. My attempt to gather information from the Jedi Master were faced with stoic silence. It was not ominous. Not at all...

When I felt the transport enter the upper layers of the atmosphere I opened the side door and took in the sights as we descended towards the Senate building. It is early in the evening so the local sun was visible from this height. I could clearly see skyscrapers which were dozens and few even hundred kilometers high. Below us the planet sized city was blazing with countless lights reminding me of a star covered sky. The gleaming towers of Coruscant were breathtaking feats of engineering.

As we got lower and lower I could make out thousands vehicles which were flying in what resembled multi-colored rivers suspended in mid-air. Even now, when the memories of Darth Vael were more or less mine, the sight of the capital world of the Republic was amazing.

The gunship flew into a travel lane restricted for military traffic and the only vehicles which came near were other LAATs or various GAR transports. All too soon the mushroom shaped Senate building came into view and our ride headed to a brightly lit platform near which waited a pair of senate commandos wearing their distinctive blue armors.

When the LAAT landed they rushed to our side and saluted.

"Sir, I am Major Garm Falks. I have a temporally ID card for you, General. However you should go to GAR headquarters ASAP to get yourself permanent ID and log it into the net, sir!"

"Thank you Major Falks. I'll do it at the first opportunity I get. "I returned his salute.

**=RK=**

**Senate Building**

**Coruscant**

Ten minutes later we were in front of the Chancellor offices where we met with Masters Yoda and Windu. The Vaapad master glared at me. It's a good thing that his look was not able to kill or I would be a stain on the floor by now.

I greeted them amicably. This was not the place to make a scene.

"Masters, do you know why we are here?" Shaak Ti.

"Chancellor Palpatine summoned us here. He said it was vital to meet him as soon as possible." grunted Windu.

It was clear that he was not impressed by Palpy. Only if he knew...

"General, Masters, please follow me. The Chancellor will see you now." A middle aged human aide opened the door leading to the Republic's leader office and waved us inside.

Wow. Palpatine really looked just like in the movies and he did have that kindly old man's look perfected. If I did not know better I would have believed his every word. He had an aura around him that whispered to you that he was your friend and you should listen carefully to his words.

It was nothing I had not seen before. Standard Sith Lord trick. With my mental shields heavily reinforced it was easily to disregard.

To my surprise, Padme was in the Chancellor's office. She was wearing a blue and purple dress which probably was the high of fashion in the Core words but looked strange to my eyes. After exchanging the expected pleasantries, our host waved us to sit before getting down to business. When Palpatine told us why we were there I had to valiantly fight not to explode into a fit of giggling like a young schoolgirl.

It had to be a ROBs idea of fun. There was no other way to explain it. That or the Force itself wanted to mess up with our resident Sith Lord. Dooku got caught by pirates. At least that a self-styled Pirate Leader said when he had somehow contacted the Chancellor's office. In few minute the cutthroat would call again and that's why we were here... It was bloody hilarious. I had little recollection from that episode but Dooku losing his lightsabers and getting kidnapped by common pirates... Priceless!

The Jedi were surprised by that development. They as well as Palpatine did not believe that it was a credible information but it was not something they could ignore. I was torn. On one hand, now being a Force user I was aware of the capabilities that Dooku had. So getting captured by pirates was highly unlikely. And embarrassing. Yet it did happen in the cartoon. Whether that was the case here or we had to deal with an unexpectedly opportunistic and bold pirate remained to be seen. I kept silent and waited to see how the events were about to unfold. At least with three Jedi Masters in the room, Sidious had his mask firmly in place and was not about to do any Dark side tricks.

**=RK=**

"If you want the Sith it will cost you a million credits in spice. I want it delivered on a diplomatic transport." declared the Pirate.

Palpatine's face was an unreadable mask. The Chancellor was obviously not amused. All of us could feel his irritation.

"We want proof that you have him and that he is still alive before agreeing on anything."

I gleefully watched what happened next and was forever thankful that my helmet had a built in camera. The expression on Dooku's face when he was matched in front of the holocomm was hilarious.

"And now I present you the fearless Sith Lord Count Dooku!" declared the pirate.

The bastard obviously enjoyed the show. I can't blame him. It was priceless.

"The hologram is fixed." said Palpatine.

He was smiling thinly at the pirate.

"If you don't believe me." The cutthroat took out a curved lightsaber from under his jacket and activated it. "This is his lightsaber."

"Yes. Dooku's this lightsaber is." Yoda added his two cents.

"It still proves nothing." I interjected. "It's no big secret how his lightsaber looks like. For all we know it is just a clever toy you cooked up in your spare time, pirate."

While the Jedi gave me looks which were shouting 'Shut up!', the Chancellor gave me a grave nod.

"General Veil is correct. You have not shown us anything that cannot be easily faked."

"Is that so?" growled the Pirate Leader. "Perhaps the CIS council would be more receptive to my offer. But I can give you further proof. Bring him here!" he shouted an order and then nodded to someone off screen.

We could hear few blaster shots and soon after Dooku's body was dragged so we could see him.

"Stretch his left hand!" ordered the pirate.

I grinned under my helmet while the Jedi and Palpatine bolted to their feet. They watched in horror as Dooku lost his left hand as a demonstration.

"Is that proof enough? If you want I can send you the arm so you could run the necessary tests."

"That won't be needed." stammered Palpatine.

I think that he wanted to bash his head on the desk. Those were bad few days for him and his plans. Even worse for his minions.

"This is our chance to capture Dooku!" exclaimed Padme.

"If that's him at any rate. This could very well be an elaborate scheme from our pirate friend." I pointed at the disgruntled looking man on the other side of the channel.

"We want to send two Jedi to confirm that you do have him before we pay you." said the Senator.

"Fine. But they won't be armed."

"Out of the question!" she snapped at the Pirate.

"They will be safe. I guarantee it."

"Because the word of a pirate is beyond reproach. Riiight." I sneered at him.

"We do not want to be part of your war! They won't be harmed!"

"Fine, but one of my generals who is not a Jedi will accompany them. And he will be armed." Palpatine gave me a nod.

The pirate gave a long look at my apparel.

"So the Republic is now desperate enough to hire bounty hunters as generals? Heh. You can keep your guns, mercenary. They won't be enough if you try something." With those parting words the pirate cut the connection.

"Kenobi and Skywalker are near Florrum but we could not establish connection with them."

"Hmm. Safe they will be, I sense. But Count Dooku they won't find this time."

"We are short on Jedi who we could sent right now, Chancellor." declared Windu.

"Master Ti is right here. Padawan Ahsoka Tano needs few hours in bacta to mend her leg and she well be ready. We are few days away from there anyway."

"That will have to do, General. If the Jedi Masters agree to it?" he asked.

Yoda and Windu looked at each other and gave small nods.

"Then I'll arrange the payment. General go tho GAR high command and arrange for a ship to transport you to Florrum. You are acting with my authority in this matter so there should be no delays. Act with all possible hate, General Veil." He retrieved a data chip from a drawer in his desk and threw it at me.

"Yes, sir."

"Master Ti, please make sure that Ahsoka is ready to be transferred to our new ship." I said to the Togruta Jedi before giving nods of respect to the Senator and the other two Jedi Masters, and leaving.

**=RK=**

**GAR Headquarters**

**Coruscant**

When I went to the GAR Headquarters I spoke with a clone commander who said that he'll start the wheels running on acquiring me a ship for the mission. Then I went to get my new military ID's and all the necessary paperwork that went with my new exalted rank. I spent more than a few hours in medical where I was subjected to myriad of tests. From DNA scan and taking biometric measurements to a full medical checkup. To say that I was disgruntled by the time the medics were finished with me would be a great understatement.

After that ordeal was over I met an admiral who was on staff at the Headquarters while waiting for his next assignment. He was grizzled, scar covered Mon Calamari called Arikakon Baraka. The green navy uniform looked out of place on his massive frame.

"You are the fella that led the raid in which Grievous was caught." declared the Admiral.

"I got lucky." I deadpanned.

"And now you are the newest pet of the Chancellor." he said with dismissive tone.

I shrugged. I was not about to explain to him that both Sidious and I were trying to use each other before one of us stabbed the other in the back...

"I need a cruiser for extracting another high value CIS target. After what happened at Rodia I want it with full load of starfighters, their pilots and at least a battalion of ground troops with their equipment. You know that I have the authority to get what I need." I waved my hand in front of his face to help concentrate the suggestion through the Force.

He glared at me for a moment longer then nodded.

"I will see what is a viable. "

"That is great, Admiral!" I grinned. "I would also want few people transferred to my new ship.."

Twenty minutes later I had confirmation that Firmus Piett was transferred under my command as my new aide as well as the remains of 36th and 71st platoons. However that was the end of the good news. Unless a Venator was detached from the Coruscant defense fleet there would not be a cruiser a viable for at least a day. My cart blanch from the Chancellor covered a lot of ground but weakening the defense of the capital was not part of it. The Admiral proposed that I check what other ships I could use and I started checking a list he sent me. I most of those were Acclamators which had full complement of ground troops and few even had squadrons of fighters just as Dauntless.

One particular ship caught my attention. While I did not recognize its name, that of its captain was something else. I grinned wolfishly.

"I'll want this Assault Ship for my mission. Let's check if it has fighter contingent on board and if not how long it will take to load couple of squadrons and their support equipment and staff on board."

**=RK=**

**Part 4**

**Republic Assault Ship Leveler**

**Staging area Sigma near Coruscant**

Captain Gilad Pellaeon disembarked from the shuttle which brought him back to his ship and headed for the bridge. He had to suppress the overwhelming desire to strangle Lieutenant Meriones, his so called aide. The blond man had a splendid day until he was awoken by the insistent beeping of his comm unit. The painfully familiar voice of his aide had crashed his cheerful mood when the man informed him that he had to return ASAP. Pellaeon had looked with regret at the sleeping form of his dark skinned lover who was cuddled around a pillow. The exquisite outline of her bare back was barely visible under the silk sheet she was hogging. He was supposed to have at least few more days until his next deployment, damn it! Kriffing war!

He had said good bye to a sleepy Hellena and made his way to a nearby Republic military base from where he took a shuttle to his ship. If this was not important he swore that Meriones was a dead man. There had to be some suicide mission for which he could volunteer the Lieutenant. That man was a waste of space anyway.

When he reached his bridge, Pellaeon found his aide talking with a man who was mostly hidden by a black cloak. They had their backs turned to the entrance so neither of them saw him made his way up to them.

"The rest of crimson company should be on board within the hour, sir." said Gilad's aide.

"That should be soon enough. We do not have any time to waste. This operation is time sensitive. The fighter squadrons are up to strength, is that right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Ahem." the Captain cleared his throat.

The men turned around and Meriones gave him a textbook salute. The other man was wearing a black robe under which Pellaeon could make the distinct form of a heavy armor. The stranger was also wearing a mandalorian styled helmet which hid his face. But what received his undivided attention was the rank insignia which was on the left side of the man's chest. It was that of a general.

"Ah. Captain Pellaeon. It's great you managed arrive so soon. I am sorry for interrupting your short rest but I need you and your ship for a mission."

"Sir!" the Captain gave a crisp salute which was immediately returned.

"I am General Delkatar Veil, Captain. If you lead us to a conference room I'll brief you on our assignment."

Few minutes later, Gilad was glaring at the General.

"Let me see if I got this right, sir. I and my ship are to provide transport and security for a deal with a kriffing pirates!?"

"I am not thrilled either, Captain. I would prefer to land ground troops, secure the outlaws camp and retrieve Dooku if he is actually there. But we have our orders. I and couple of Jedi are to make sure that the Count is really in the hands of the pirates and alive. Then we'll be waiting for the transport with the payment to arrive. I requested your ship as an insurance."

At that Pellaeon raised an eyebrow.

"If the pirates decide to play games I want you to..."

When he heard the plan, Gilad was smiling. Not only Veil looked like he knew what he was doing but he was receptive of suggestions from his subordinates. The General had no issues with accepting Pellaeon's additions to the contingency planning.

**=RK=**

Three hours later Leveler broke orbit over Coruscant and headed for a clear lane from where she could make a safe jump to hyperspace. When the ship entered FTL I made my way to a conference room near the bridge where I was to meet with the Captain, his aide, Piett, the Jedi and the commander of the ground troops on board. Ahsoka had spent two hours in bacta and after a shower she was mostly all right. She'd need a day or two more until her leg was up to full strength but otherwise she was fine.

We gathered around a round table which had terminal built in in front of each seat. Once again I marveled at Pellaeon.

What was with competent naval officers in this universe?

Both the captain and Piett were on the short side. Was it that Napoleon complex or something? Granted, it was unlikely. He was from another universe all together. But it was strange to see both of them being on the short side of one seventy centimeters of height.

After brief introductions which gave me the name of the clone commanding the ground pounders – commander TK 75 "Trek", we got down to business.

"Now, the politicians may believe that this will be a straight deal. We are dealing with bloody pirates. The question is not if they will try to back-stab us but how they will do it. Thanks to our friends in Republic Intelligence we have some information on their leader."

I used telekinesis to activate the holographic projector build in the middle of the table. We saw the face of the pirate leader suspended in mid-air. In all his ugly glory.

"That, ladies and gentlemen, is Hondo Ohnaka. The piece of scum we have to deal with. He is the captain of the so eloquently named Ohnaka band. These days his group makes a living by selling spice and kidnapping people for ransom. Usually they are active around the Tion Hegemony and the Corporate sector where they can run amok unchecked. Intelligence reports that they have at least few Ubrikkian tanks, a lot of speeder bikes and various ships which they had hijacked. We also have confirmation that Ohnaka had managed to grab a Corona class frigate as well as few Flarestar class ships. They should not be a match for an Acclamator. The gang numbers are estimated to be at least couple of hundreds."

"My boys will deal with them." announced Trek. "However we'll need information about their base's defenses."

"It is unlikely that they lack at least rudimentary AA capabilities so a direct air assault will be costly." said Piett.

"Sent couple of companies loaded on LAAT's as well as armor on the other side of the planed from their base. Then they can came in flying nap to the ground evading whatever AA the pirates have." I said.

"That way we will have something solid to use against those tanks. They are not particularly good against modern walkers but have substantial light weaponry which can make the life of my infantry hard."

"Four walkers and the AT teams should be enough to deal with that." I said. "I want only two companies deployed when the pirates try to mess with us. Keep the rest as a backup in case the CIS finnds out what happened to Dooku. If he's actually here, that is."

"That won't help us much." grumbled Ahsoka. "Whose idea was anyway that we should go there unarmed."

The officers looked surprised and not a little angry at that declaration.

"Ohnaka's of course. But I will be armed. After all I am just a "bounty hunter" according to the pirate leader." I made air quotes while saying what the idiot thought I was. "I'll do my best to keep you in one piece until commander Teck's forces arrive."

"That's not reassuring." muttered Master Ti.

I just snorted in response.

"I have not given you any reason to doubt me, have I?"

She shook her head and frowned.

"Back to the topic on hand. The situation in space."

"In space, if the intelligence is right I should be able to deal with anything the pirates could throw at us. If the Sep's come in force then all bets are off." said Pellaeon.

"If that happens I leave it on your discretion to decide if you could hold them off long enough for us to evacuate. If not do what is necessary to ensure the safety of your ship." I ordered.

"Yes, sir." the Captain gave me a small nod of respect.

Ahsoka gave me a dirty look. I shrugged.

"There is no sensed of letting the Leveler be destroyed for no gain in a futile effort to extract us if overwhelming enemy forces arrive in system. In such a case we'll have to do our best on the ground and hope that they won't blast us from orbit."

**=RK=**

Later that evening I went after Shaak Ti. I wanted to know why here attitude towards me had suddenly became cold and distant after I awoke from my rest following the Battle at Rodia. I walked fast after her when she headed for her assigned quarters.

"Master Ti, a word."

"I'm listening." she said without looking back at me.

She continued walking and I fell in step beside her.

"What is your problem with me?" I decided to be direct.

She gave me sidelong glance.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." she said primly.

"Nope. Not at all. After the battle you've been keeping steel control over your emotions around me and we had not exchanged more than a couple of words unless necessary. Not to mention that you've been avoiding me like the plague. Spill."

She stopped walking and turned to face me. Her eyes were blazing with barely restrained anger.

"I know!" she hissed.

"What?" I asked surprised. However I had a creeping feeling that I knew what she was insinuating. It was not one of my proudest moments.

"The Council found the classified filed about what you did on Shili!"

"Ah. That."

"You tortured four Jedi to death!" she shouted.

I removed my helmet and looked her in the eyes. She flinched and took a step back. For one of a very few time in my life I was gripped by such an anger that I was barely able to restrain myself from lashing out. I knew that at the moment my eyes were blazing yellow stars.

"I did." I said in a tone colder than the abyss between the stars.

Almost visible tendrils of Dark side energies were snapping around my body in response to the fury I felt.

She grabbed the hilt of her lightsaber and I knew that she was struggling to decide whether she should be ready to defend herself or attack me outright.

**=RK=**

**Part 5**

**Republic Assault Ship Leveler**

**Hyperspace**

I reined in my fury and smothered it until it resembled smoldering embers left after a wildfire. Giving in to my anger now would serve no purpose. I was not one of the common rabble that called themselves Sith yet were so easily lost to the poisonous lure of the Dark side. It was the tool, the servant and not the master! I pushed the quiet whispers of the Dark side to the back of my mind where it had always muttered sweet lies.

I stared at Shaak Ti's dark eyes and frowned. She was beautiful when angry. I shook my head in exasperation.

"What exactly did they tell you, Master Ti?" my voice was quiet showing barely a trace of the anger chained within my heart. "That a bunch of Jedi were strolling in Shili's wilderness and I decided to have some fun during a vacation by torturing them to death?" I sneered.

She answered me with a defiant glare.

"I can see it in your eyes. No matter what I tell you, Jedi, you won't believe me. You've made up your mind, haven't you?" I muttered.

"We were fools to believe you for even a moment!" she snapped.

"Let me show you what happened. See the truth with your own eyes."

I darted forward and grabbed her right wrist, stopping her from attacking me with her lightsaber. I placed my right hand on her forehead and submerged both of us in the currents of the Force.

"The Jedi Order and its Council members are not the angels you believe them to be." I said before we were thrown into an echo of the past.

**=RK=**

**Four thousand years ago**

**Planet Shili Ehosiq sector**

**Expansion Region**

A Republic trooper fell to the ground drowning in his own blood. Another was hit by invisible force with the power of speeding train and hurled away from the farmstead. A Wookie Jedi was thrown into a nearby building by a wave of raw Force energy. I used my lightsaber as a spear and threw it at a nearby commando who was shouldering a rocket launcher. My weapon flew true and stabbed him in the heart. The still ignited lightsaber floated back to my outstretched hand. I fried another trooper with a purple bolt of lightning shot from the palm of my left hand. And suddenly the enemies in my immediate vicinity were down.

I keeled next to the cooling body of my wife. Her chest was a burned, smoking ruin. I recognized the tell-tale signs of lightsaber dealt wound. Her once vivid black eyes were misty, sightless orbs staring into the dark sky.

I discarded my helmet and let it fall to the ground. I gently picked up her limp right arm and placed a tender kiss on the back of her still warm hand. The evidence was in front of me, staring me in the face yet my brain refused to believe it. She couldn't be gone! Simply could not! I was torn between denial, grief and anger which was burning hotter by the second.

She was innocent! Ashara wanted nothing to do with the damn war!

I froze. In my anguish I failed to notice it. It was a faint spark of life force coming from my wife. I stared at her body with my mouth hanging open. My left hand traced its origin over Ashara's body. My palm stopped over her tummy. There it was. Tiny. Innocent. Barely formed. And fading fast.

Without thinking I clutched the spark of life with all my might. I drew heavily on the light side of the Force. As much as my body could channel. I trembled with the strain to continue forcing the energies of the Force to pass through me and keep the tiny life going.

The cold, pragmatic part of my mind that was the successful General was screaming that it was futile. That I was killing myself for nothing. I disregarded it. For me it was not futile. This so small moth of light that I was holding in my metaphysical fingers was the last part that I had left from my Ashara. Our child.

Its, no her life, was slipping from my grasp. I could not let her go. I pulled even more power through me.

A storm of light and shadows raged around us. More power than a mortal was meant to wield coursed through my veins. For one vast, endless moment her life blazed like a star. Our Force signatures synchronized and I was engulfed by a blinding light.

I was somewhere else gazing at a tiny, smiling face. It was light red and from it two small copies of Ashara's eyes stared back. I grinned back. I was high on the pride and joy I felt as I looked at my newborn daughter.

I was laughing as my toddler was making her first unsure steps and tried to walk towards me.

Many toys were floating around a bouncing and giggling little girl. I could see Ashara siting next to our child and speaking to her words I could not hear.

A five years old Selene proudly presented me the hilt of a lightsaber she had constructed...

A teenage version of my life who had fairer skin was walking towards me.

"Shh... Daddy. It's not your fault..." I heard a light voice which melted my heart. I could feel warm hands engulfing me into a tight hug before the illusion shattered into countless pieces of sparkling light.

"It's not your fault..." the female voice echoed in my ears.

The spark of light that would have been my lovely daughter winked out. I felt it dissipating into the Force followed by the body of Ashara. I could feel a part of me dying with her. I screamed my indescribable loss at the heavens.

**=RK=**

Shaak Ti watched horrified the tragedy unfolding in front of her. She could not turn away her head or close her eyes. To make things worse she felt an echo of the emotions ravaging the man who lost his wife and unborn child.

"NOOOOOOO!" Veil's anguished, hopeless scream turned into an animalistic roar.

The Force itself responded to the wordless call and torrents of black lightning bolts surrounded the man like a shroud. She could sense some kind of a void forming in the center of a hurricane made by raw Force which engulfed the grieving man. The fury and anger were gone. There was emptiness, a lack of emotions where Veil was supposed to be. She no longer could feel him in the Force. Yet, he was not cut from it. She could see it moments later when the Republic troopers and the Jedi, who were forgotten until now, made their presence obvious.

Nine commandos opened fire with their blasters. Red bolts of energy exploded couple of meters away from the place where Delkatar was supposed to be. All she could see was a vortex of darkness deeper than anything she had ever seen before.

"That does not belong to you." stated a flat voice which was void of any emotion.

The Echani Jedi who was armed with a lightsaber staff with glwoing azure blades had a moment for surprise to register on her face. The hilts of two more sabers which were tucked in her belt moved on their own accord.

Those weapons hummed to life without warning and a pair of sapphire blades blazed in the night. They spun around in blindingly fast circles and the white haired woman fell to the ground in fifteen pieces.

The lightsabers which belonged to Ashara Vael floated lazily in the air. The remaining Jedi looked at them with fear in their eyes while the commandos continued to fire their weapons at the black vortex.

What happened next was too fast for even a Jedi's eyes to follow. Yet Shaak Ti was unfortunate enough to see it in excruciating detail.

The hurricane made from the Force itself fell apart to reveal Veil standing where the body of his wife used to be. The murderous look in his eyes sent shivers of primeval terror down her spine.

"Damn you all to hell!" he hissed.

One moment the Sith was thirty meters away from the troopers who were shooting at him to no effect. Then he was in the center of their formation. His lightsaber blade was buried in the heart of their Lieutenant.

Veil raised his left hand and darkness gathered within his palm. It twisted and elongated creating a spear of living shadows. He hurled it at a man on the right flank of the Republic line. The trooper died screaming as his body was devoured by such a concentration of Dark side energies that it literally liquefied flesh.

The Sith continued moving faster that the eye could follow. In seconds the remaining commandos were cut to pieces and he was facing three scared Jedi. He looked at the only woman in their group – a young Twi'lek female in her early twenties.

She was trying to say something but words failed her. However Vael apparently knew what she was trying to tell him.

"I know you are sorry, Line. It's not enough."

He moved so fast that he was a blur of shadows and crimson light. The female Jedi tried to parry a sweeping strike but her lightsaber was battered away from her hands. Her eyes widened in shock a moment before her head was cut off.

The remaining Jedi were battered to the ground by torrents of black lightning.

"You will not be so lucky, Masters!" the Sith sneered the last word as if it was the vilest imaginable curse.

**=RK=**

**Present Day**

**Republic Assault Ship Leveler**

**Hyperspace**

Shaak Ti slid down a wall she did not know she was leaning on when she found herself back in the corridor of the Leveler. The Sith that was towering above her spoke with a subdued voice.

"For a short time I believed that they were there for me. But when I finally broke the two Jedi Masters I captured they told me a different story. The attack was targeted at Ashara. At that time the war was going bad for the Republic and the Jedi Council was terrified. It was a war of attrition that we were winning. So the Jedi wanted their trump card back. Or eliminated forever."

The Jedi Master watched with a heavy heart the anguish in Veil's eyes. That was contrary to what she knew about the Order, past of present. Yet she could feel that the man was telling the truth. The Force itself was screaming at her that the vision was real. A slice of horrific past that she was shown for a reason.

"Why?" she whispered.

For endless seconds Delkatar stared at her before speaking two words that explained everything.

"Battle Meditation. Ashara was disillusioned with the Jedi. So she left them. But once the bastards were losing the war they wanted her back. At any cost. All my wife wanted was peace away from the conflict. And they murdered her and my unborn daughter for it."

He turned around and grabbed his helmet from the ground. As Veil walked away he spoke few parting words.

"They gave you enough information to make you my enemy. It's quite different when you have the full picture, isn't it? "

For the longest time Shaak Ti stood kneeling on the floor, thinking about the nightmare she was shown. And about what the Council decided to withhold. For first time in her adult life she was doubting her fellow Jedi Masters.

Lies. They were supposed to be the weapon of the Sith. Yet, here she was – being lied and set up by the people she unquestionably trusted since being a little girl...

Neither of them noticed the lithe form of the younger Togruta who listened to their conversation from behind a nearby corner.

**=RK=**

**Part 6**

**En route to Florrum**

**Outer Rim**

I did not see the Jedi in the couple of days out journey lasted. I used my free time to deal with a lot of paperwork sent to me by GAR high command. It was concerning the formation of a fleet and attached ground forces which I was to command so it was not something that I could ignore. Piett as my aide was priceless in helping me deal with all of it. He showed a typical greenhorn trait by volunteering to be our pilot for the visit of the pirate base. Something from which I had to dissuade him. I told him to go to the bridge and learn from the captain while I was on the ground.

Finally we arrived at the targeted system and exited hyperspace at its edge. The plan was that me and the Jedi would take a shuttle from here to the planet. On our way there we would make a sensor sweep over the back of Florrum's moon. If it was clear, Leveler would make a micro jump there. If not, then the ship would be ready to come calling if something went wrong but we would lose the element of surprise that way. Before heading to the shuttle, I spoke with Pellaeon and confirmed the contingency orders I had given him.

I met the Jedi in the hangar where two companies of infantry were preparing for deployment. The Togruta women were waiting near the open ramp of our transport and they looked less than pleased. With them being females the fact that they were about to enter a pirate hangout unarmed was not a reason for cheering.

"Ladies, unless you have second thoughts we should go."

They shook their heads so headed to the cockpit. Ahsoka looked a bit guilty.

I wondered, what did she do?

I shelved that thought for later.

The short flight to the planet was spent in an awkward silence. We made a hyperspace jump near the moon and exited FTL in such an angle that the sensors were able to sweep the dark side of the small planetoid. Nothing unusual was detected so I sent a signal to Leveler before entering Florrum's atmosphere.

I guided our shuttle towards the pirate hideout as we flew over vast plains covered with orange grass and patches of brown desert sand. Below us herds of big animals were minding their own business. Some of them were looking up at our passage with interest. If it was not for our mission I might have found it a fascinating opportunity to view a world mostly untouched by civilization.

I landed our craft in a tiny valley which was the courtyard in the front of the pirate base. I secured the ship and we descended down the ramp.

A semicircle of armed pirates greeted us. Judging by the girls reactions they stank. I allowed myself a small smile. Than the force for air filters!

One of the pirates walked next to us and waved a scanner which looked suspiciously like a portable radio with two antennas. He decided that the Jedi were clean and then started waving the kriffing thing around me. My right hand shot forward and grabbed the scanner by the antennas and I plucked it from the pirate's grip.

"Your boss agreed that I could keep my weapons. Despite the Jedi's arrogance I am not crazy enough to walk in your lair unarmed." I grumbled.

The rest of the cutthroats pointed their weapons at me.

"If you want to be paid you'll behave. The Republic could have easily sent a Battle group instead of us."

The man from whose hands I took the scanner glared at me but nodded and waved us to follow them. As we entered the base, Shaak Ti walked next to me and whispered:

"Are you insane?!"

"I've dealt with their kind before. Handling them requires a different kind of diplomacy than the one you are accustomed to. The Republic's niceties are seen as a sign of weakness out here." I muttered quietly.

We were led to a cantina. The men and women there gave us dirty looks. It was a rundown place. An alien woman's voice was singing from hidden loudspeakers in a high pitched tone I found irritating.

The pirate leader was sitting on a table in the back of this so called establishment. He was surrounded by six bodyguards. Ohnaka was drinking something that was probably illegal in dozens of systems from a metal mug.

"Ladies! General! Will you drink something?" he exclaimed in a flamboyant tone.

"We are not here to have fun captain Ohnaka." I said.

He ignored me and pushed my way a metal mug full with a green liquid which resembled toxic waste.

I shook my head at his antics. I've been in his presence for mere seconds and the bloody hut spawn was already irritating!

"So you are the man that caught Dooku. Quite impressive feat."

Next to me the Jedi were glaring at the somewhat sober pirates who were leering at them. I wondered how long it would be before all hell broke loose...

"Heh. The Sith couldn't deal with my warriors. He resisted but it was futile!" Ohnaka exclaimed while waving his cup around. A bit of his drink fell on the table and started eating through it.

Yeah. His chosen poison was definitely illegal.

"Blaster against that glowy thing!" he waved his free hand. "It was a glorious victory, I tell ya!"

"His lightsaber." I deadpanned.

"Yeah. That thing. It's needless to say that he is not harmless even now. But we won anyway!"

Few of his cronies cheered at that.

A red, monkey like creature that resembled a gremlin made its way to the table. It was playing with a lightsaber. And its hilt was not curved like Dooku's.

"Hey! That's not yours!" Ahsoka exclaimed and summoned the weapon to her hand. Immediately we found herself surrounded by a veritable forest of blasters.

"That's Skywalker's isn't it?" I groaned.

The small monster ran up one of the pirates, moved over his blaster rifle and grabbed the lightsaber hilt which Ahsoka was holding. It tried to pry it from her hand but she held on it.

"Hey! That's not yours!" she glared at the critter.

More than half of the weapons were redirected at her.

"Ahsoka! Stand down! It's obvious your Master lost his lightsaber. Again." I grumbled and turned to the leader of the pirates surrounding us. "We are not here to fight, youthful exuberance notwithstanding. Do you have Dooku or not?"

"I'll arrange a meeting. Girl let go of the weapon." He growled at Ahsoka who relented after a sharp look from Master Ti.

**=RK=**

We were led to the prison block of the base where one of the cells was guarded by two armed pirates. Inside we found Dooku suspended in mid-air by a force field. His left hand was missing.

Ahsoka jumped in excitement.

"How the mighty have fallen!" she cheered.

He looked at the older woman.

"Master Ti. I would like to say that it is a pleasure to meet you again but under the circumstances..." he trailed off.

"Count Dooku." she nodded at him.

"And this must be the mercenary that gave us so much trouble. Obviously Grievous failed again."

"He and Ventress are cooling their heels in cells on Coruscant. You'll be joining them soon."

"You captured her then? Impressive. Why someone with your skills works for the Republic? I can assure you that if you help me and join the Confederacy you'll be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams."

"You'll go to Coruscant to be judged for your crimes! Right, Delkatar?" asked Ahsoka.

"Dooku, you know nothing about my dreams." I hissed.

"You'll spent a long time in similar cell, Dooku!" taunted Ahsoka.

"Young and foolish. Do you really believe that the pirates will let you leave this planet?"

"They are thieves who do not wish to fight with Jedi!" the Padawan's temper was rising.

"Ahsoka! Do not let him bait you!" snapped Shaak Ti.

"Not that they would be interested in fighting you two. I am sure that they have other plans for such delectable females." added Dooku.

That made the women uneasy.

"Do you really think that I failed to take that into an account before coming here?" I asked.

"Yet you brought them." Dooku nodded at the Jedi. "Our "hosts" are more cunning that you gave them credit for."

"I see why they like you so much." I chuckled. "We saw enough. Let's go."

**=RK=**

We walked towards the shuttle to contact the Republic. When we were passing through a corridor void of the locals, Shaak Ti came near me and hissed.

"You knew!"

"I take it you've been lucky enough not to have dealt with pirates? Or at least to be around them unarmed? Yes I know how they'll view the two of you. It is a useful distraction. And yeah, I am cold blooded bastard when I have a mission to accomplish. No need to give me compliments, Master Ti."

"You are using us as a bait?!" Ahsoka was outraged.

"Don't look at me. It was senator Amidala who proposed that two Jedi must be sent. I would have been all right with coming here by myself. It would have make things simpler though not as interesting." I shrugged.

"You are a Sith all right. And to think that I was ready to apologize to you!" muttered Master Ti.

Before we got on the shuttle one of the locals invited us to a celebration to honor our deal. I simply nodded and boarded the ship.

We spoke with the Chancellor and his entourage – Windu, Yoda and couple of senators who would deliver the payment. To my regret one of them was to be Jar-Jar. I wondered if I could arrange an accident for that menace. Sidious was able to mask well his displeasure when I confirmed that his "friend" was really captured and got his arm chopped off.

After we were finished speaking with Coruscant I contacted the Leveler and gave confirmed that we were all right so far. Plan A was a go.

**=RK=**

I decided to let our "gracious" hosts to show their hand and persuaded the Jedi that we could not simply ignore their invitation. When we got back into the cantina we found a wild party which was in full swing.

Drunk people laying everywhere, one fella dancing on the far end of the bar, a waitress who did not like the advances of an unlucky patron was bashing the man's head at the table he was sitting at... In short – exactly what you would expect from such a place.

I led the women to the bar where we sat on somewhat clean stools.

"I can't believe that you volunteered me for this, Delkatar. You are an evil man." Ahsoka muttered.

"I should have found an excuse to stay as far away from you as possible." groaned Shaak Ti.

The commotion was unpleasant for their sensitive ears.

Ohnaka came to us with a shit eating grin on his face.

"My friends! Please share a drink with me! It is the traditional way to seal our deal!"

Yeah. Right. I smiled under my helmet. Plan A it was. Too bad that the Jedi did not know about it...

"Fine. But something non-alcoholic for the kid." I pointed at Ahsoka who glared at me.

Ohnaka waved at a waitress who soon brought us three mugs. I removed my helmet and saluted our host with my drink. Before taking a sip from the bubbling liquid I used a trick that was essential to know if one wanted to survive more than a couple of weeks in the academy on Korriban. I used the Force to make myself immune to most poisons and sedatives. It would also diminish the effect of the few substances that could effect me anyway.

I saluted our host with my mug and took a big swallow from the strong beverage. Shaak Ti and Ahsoka followed my lead and soon were swaying in their seats.

Ohnaka frowned when I finished my cup.

"That is great! What is it? I have not drank something that good in ages!" I smiled pleasantly at him but my eyes were cold.

He looked around. Most of his crew were passed out around the cantina or too drunk to put much of a fight. Then his sight fell on the Jedi who were mostly incoherent by now. Whatever was put in our drinks was strong to effect the women that fast.

"That won't work, you know." I stated.

I crushed the mug in my right hand and with the help of the Force I molded it into a rough spike which I threw behind me at a sober pirate who was trying to sneak towards my back. My improvised weapon struck him in the left eye with enough power to embed itself into his brain. The dead man fell slowly on the floor without giving out a sound.

Hondo Ohnaka tried to shout something to his men but he found out that he was unable to even whimper. An invisible hand had grabbed his throat and started squeezing it. To his utter horror none of his men noticed the murder of their fella or what I was doing to their boss. A room full of drunk idiots and a slight suggestion that there was nothing interesting to look at where I stood was more than enough to give us some privacy as long as Ohnaka did not shout an order.

"After this stunt you pulled," I nodded at the girls who had fallen asleep on the floor, "I am re-negotiating our deal."

The smile that stretched my lips made him shudder.

"Let me tell you, trying to back-stab us without informing your minions," I waved at the men drinking around us, "is something that you might live to regret. If you are lucky."

My grip around his throat relented a bit and he started coughing in an attempt to get some air in his straining lungs.

"Now, my new friend let's talk money. And tell me all about how and where you caught Dooku." I smiled cheerfully at the pirate.

**=RK=**

**Republic Assault Ship Leveler**

**behind Florrum's moon**

**Outer Rim**

Captain Pellaeon watched at the holographic displays projected over the windows of his ship's bridge. They showed the progress of the assault party that had inserted from the other side of the planed from the pirate base. He calmly observed as an hour passed since the last communication from the General arrived. The ground troops were thirty four minutes away from the enemy stronghold.

Next to the Captain, Ensign Piett was anxiously starring at the clock. 'So the General, was right. Kriffing pirates!' he thought.

Pellaeon went to the nearest console from which he could contact the deployed ground troops and opened a channel to them. In order to preserve the element of surprise he had ordered the launch a stealth satellite which could transmit by laser to the advancing clones.

"This is Leveler Actual. Raptor you have a go. I repeat, Raptor you have a go. We will be on station to provide orbital support in thirty five minutes."

"Sound general quarters. I want our remaining ground forces to be ready for deployment and our fighter wings manned. Inform medical that they can expect wounded within the hour."

**=RK=**

**Pirate Base, Planer Florrum**

**Outer Rim**

I was smiling cheerfully when Ohnaka finished transferring his band's liquid assets to a credit chip which I pocketed into a secure compartment of my armor. It is wondrous what some "persuasion" through the Force and expertly applied pain could do. The pirate leader was not as tough as he wanted others to believe.

I checked the time. It was thirty one minutes after the deadline for contacting the Leveler had passed. Splendid. I retrieved two personal shields from pockets in my robes and placed them on the girls right arms. Ohnaka, who was held in stasis by an expertly applied field of Force energy, watched warily as I worked.

Thirty two minutes. I levitated the unconscious women and carefully placed them behind the bar where they would have some cover. That caught the attention of few pirates who were somewhat sober and they headed our way.

I patted the shoulder of the frozen in place Ohnaka.

"It's almost time."

Thirty three minutes. I extended my senses and grinned. I could sense the approaching clones. They would be in time. You got to love competent subordinates who had appreciation for precise timing!

The first two sober pirates reached us and looked at their boss with identical frowns on their faces. He was just sitting there without speaking or moving. Something that was apparently uncharacteristic for him.

"Eh... Boss, is everything all right?" one of them eventually gathered enough courage to ask.

"Just peachy." I answered.

Four more somewhat sober men joined the group that was confronting me.

Finally one of the geniuses comprehended that something was wrong.

Said fella drew his blaster and pointed it at me.

"Should that scare me?" I asked and waved at his weapon.

Using telekinesis I twisted his arm so his pistol was aimed at his boss. The eyes of the unnamed minion widened in surprise. Then I applied some pressure over his trigger finger. His weapon fired a single blaster bolt which shot Ohnaka in the head.

Thirty four minutes. The compound was shaken by multiple explosions. That was the initial missile strike aimed at the few AA emplacements the pirates had, none of which was automated.

Show time.

The first reaction of the pirates was stunned disbelief. That gave me more than enough time to use telekinesis to activate the shields on the Jedi's arms and draw my blasters. I mowed down the six cutthroats that were facing me before any of them could raise their weapons.

I did not stop firing for a second. Crimson blaster bolts shot from my guns and headed towards the occupants of the cantina who were not yet passed out. There were less than a score of those including the four waitresses who fell on the ground with scorched craters in their chests.

I could already hear the chatter of heavy weapons from outside. Both from the LAAT's and the deployed walkers. Their first targets were the enemy armor which with any luck would be wrecked before anyone thought to man it and the small fleet of ships the pirates had. I activated a beacon built in my armor so the clones would know where I was and not waste time combing the whole base searching for me. The sooner some backup arrived the better. I was reluctant to leave Ahsoka and Shaak Ti alone even if most of the pirates were so drunk that they were sleeping through the attack.

I had to shoot three more blaster wielding thugs who arrived before the first squad of Crimson Company could make its way into the cantina.

"Good to see you, boys. The Jedi are behind the bar. They are drugged, the poor gals. Keep them safe and when the base is reasonable secure evacuate them back to the ship. I am going to retrieve our target.

"Yes, sir!" the sergeant leading the clones saluted me and ordered his men to take defensive positions around the Jedi.

**=RK=**

On my way to Dooku's cell I met only few of the locals who were more interested in hiding that in fighting. That did not help them much as I shot them in the back. Did I mention that I loathe pirates? They were almost as bad as slavers and often partake in that disgusting trade.

To their credit the two men guarding Dooku were still at their post. They raised their long rifles and opened fire on me when I entered the long corridor along which the prisoner's cells were located.

I activated my lightsaber and deflected their shots. Within seconds both of the guards were on the ground, downed from their own reflected fire.

I cut out the locks of the door and opened it with a wave of telekinesis.

Dooku glared at me.

"I take it that the commotion is not done by my people?" he asked.

"They are too busy after their supreme commander got caught. Not to mention the disappearance of their political leader." I nodded at him.

Dooku lowered his head as much as the force field holding him captive allowed.

"That is an unpleasant reality." he said with a subdued tone.

"Count Dooku, I wonder... Do you care at all about your confederation or is it a means to an end? Just another disposable asset for Sidious?"

The old man stood rigid. He stared at me with shock in his eyes.

"How do you know that name? Did Grievous or Ventress talk?"

"Last time I saw them, neither of those two were in any way ready for interrogation. They were not exactly intact when we captured them. Answer my question."

"I do whatever my Lord..."

"And do not repeat the party line. I asked you. Not Sidious."

Dooku glared at me and refused to answer.

"Suit yourself." I shot him in the neck with two darts from the launcher in my right arm-guard.

They were hollow and filled with a special contortion created to knock out Jedi and Sith. Just in case, I telekinetically raised on of the rifles lying next to the bodies of the guards and hit the Count with it.

**=RK=**

When the mop up was finished I was happy with the success. The Jedi were in the med bay of the Leveler where they were sleeping off the drugs they ingested. Only five clones were wounded and none of them seriously. No dead. It was a clean op, one in a thousand. We even released four prisoners who were held for ransom. They were moderately well off people who were grabbed while traveling on business along the Outer Rim.

I cheerfully ordered the surviving pirates locked up in their own prison and let the clones check all over the base for something interesting. They retrieved few small cases full of jewels and precious stones from Ohnaka's quarters as well as his encrypted personal files. I couldn't wait to get my hands on that information. Who knew, there might be some blackmailing material that could be useful in the future.

When the pirate base was searched from top to bottom and the few interesting items were loaded, the pirates were transferred to the cell block on the Leveler. After the last of my men was on board I went to the bridge.

"General, that was a good work out there." Pellaeon congratulated me.

He was right. When all was said and done, the op went too smooth. I was wondering when the other shoe would drop. Probably when Sidious was ready with his response for the disruption of his plans.

Little did I know that I'd have to deal with that mess in few short weeks.

"Thank you Captain. Please wipe that base from the face of the planet. The next bunch of outlaws which decides to set shop in this region would need to make their own facilities. We need to make a brief detour to a world few light years from here to retrieve Kenobi and Skywalker before heading back to Coruscant."

While Pellaeon ensured the destruction of the Pirate compound with judicious application of turbo-laser fire I went to the med bay. I knew that Ahsoka would be giddy with the prospect of retrieving her Master from the world I believe he was stranded on.

I finally remembered what had happened to them when Ohnaka told me how and where he caught Dooku. Weren't they buried into a cave with some kind of a big, red beast? I wondered if the Chosen one was still around...

For some reason the thought of Skywalker getting eaten by a monster in a cave filled with poisonous gas brought a smile on my face. My only immediate concern was the reactions of Ahsoka and Shaak Ti when they awoke and found out what happened.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**AN: This chapter was betaed by Dymian on FF net. Thank you for the splendid work!**

**Phase 07: Standoff**

**=RK=**

**Part 1**

**Senate Building**

**Coruscant**

The follow up of my capture of Dooku was underwhelming. He was stuck into a cell in the Jedi Temple and was awaiting a trial. Surprise, surprise, the courts were dragging their legs for weeks. Nothing unexpected with Sidious being the Chancellor. I got a lot of praise and was stuck in front of reporters more times than I cared about. Sidious had me sidelined by using me for propaganda purposes until my new command was being assembled. That was a slow and nerve wracking process without the efficiency of the Empire to which I was accustomed.

While I was getting bored out of my mind with necessary paperwork which thankfully consisted of very little actual paper and mountains of electronic memos and forms that needed my attention and signatures, the war was going on. The capture or death of some of the CIS most prominent leaders did little to deter their advance. The strategic initiative was still on their side and their overwhelming numbers allowed them to carry on with their offensive. However that was now running out of steam. Without few of their best commanders, the Separatists were suffering punishing loses and soon would have to stop and consolidate their forces. If the strategic projections were correct and with my new access to raw intelligence data I had no reason to doubt them, the enemy advance would be halted by the time my fleet was assembled. Just in time for me to participate in the planned counteroffensive.

While I was cooling my heels on Coruscant, the Jedi I was familiar with were busy getting into trouble. Ahsoka who had rejoined her master citing need for couple of calm weeks after my stunt on Florrum, was missing as well as Skywalker and Aayla Secura. Anakin and the kid went to relieve the Twi'lek Jedi Master whose fleet was under heavy separatist attack. They managed to get her away from her burning flagship but Skywalker got wounded in the process. To make matters worse, the Chosen One's luck struck again. The frigate on which the Jedi were evacuating was damaged and made a blind hyperspace jump. The Navy was still searching for them. If my memory was still accurate and the changes I've already made did not effect the outcome of their flight, the Jedi should be found safe and sound. Eventually. Unfortunately I had no idea on what planet they ended. Knowing that there was a village made from people who had fled the war did not help in that regard.

Kenobi was stuck on some Ice moon where the locals were at odds with the members of the species living on a nearby planet, who were a Republic member. For once the Senate had voted swiftly, probably because the Chancellor was too busy "arranging" the trials of the CIS leaders we had in custody.

And finally Shaak Ti was sent to Knossos, was it? Something sounding like that, where the clankers were crushing the locals. So despite the changes I made things were not changed too much from "canon". Not that meant much, here where it was all real and not a movie you could watch from bed while munching on popcorn.

For me all that was the calm before the storm that would shake the galaxy to its foundations. If anyone ever wonders, you probably won't be surprised that it started on Naboo. That planet was cursed, I tell you!

I did not know what monumental mess I would need to clean up while I was making my way towards the Chancellor's office. Only that I was called there for an emergency meeting. I was followed there by two men, none of whom were Jedi. With the relentless onslaught the CIS was throwing against the Republic after the loss of their leaders the Council no longer had the luxury of keeping a Jedi Master as my babysitter. For the moment they were content to let me deal with the Republic media, which was a kriffing pain in the ass! Those vultures were not diligently trained like our own Imperial ones. I am sure that more than one Jedi laughed off their asses on my expense, the bastards!

But considering that I was without a minder it was worth it. Getting my face shown to the masses as the man responsible for the greatest coup against the Separatist since the start of the war won me a lot of points and gave me some security that the Council would have serious problems with removing me without a very good cause. And even then it will be with GAR High Command kicking and screaming all the way. Most of the brass loved me for delivering Dooku and Grievous in their laps.

It should not be surprising. The Jedi of this era were not particularly good in the PR department and that was one the main reason why almost no one bat an eye when Sidious executed Order 66.

But that is a topic for another time.

I was walking towards the Chancellor's office accompanied by my aide Piett whose skills were invaluable for dealing with the unholy mess that was assembling a new fleet and attached army group from scratch. With us was the newest talent I managed to grab. It was a certain Lieutenant Maximillian Veers. I had arranged his transfer from the militia unit on his home world he was serving with to my command. I had noticed that he had requested multiple times to be sent to a walker unit but his pleas had fallen on deaf ears. So I drew few strings at GAR headquarters and the tall officer was sent a one way ticket to Coruscant. He had arrived to my office fifteen minute before I was called to see Palpatine. We had just met after I finished with most of the daily paperwork and had a time for a long chat with the man.

During our talk he presented me with some novel ideas about the use of walkers of all types as well as more conventional armor. So I decided to take him with me. If he was any flaws I could find in such short time, it was that Veers was too enamored with walker to the expense of anything else. That was something that should be discouraged a bit.

On the bonus side he had prior experience with infantry where he had spent his carrier so far. With careful management, he could become a splendid and well-rounded ground forces commander. Something that I currently lacked. There was a reason I did not want a clone in overall command of any branch of the forces on my disposal. It was the same one I was pushing for the promotion of Pellaeon to commodore. I still did not know how good the control Sidious had over the clones was. The various rumors I remembered from my universe were not something I could afford to take for granted.

**=RK**=

**Chancellor's Office, Senate Building, Coruscant**

Something unusual was happening. I found Yoda and Windu talking with Palpatine. They were saying that the Jedi were spread too thin. With Skywalker and Secura missing that was probably true. To make it even funnier (at least from my point of view) the newest hot spot was Naboo. It was a major point of embarrassment when the Grand master of the Jedi order had to tell the Chancellor that there were no Jedi available to go help his home world.

Little did I know that I should savor that great moment while I had the opportunity.

Well, I did anyway.

Palpatine was glaring at the Masters to my utter delight. The only thing I regretted was that I was not wearing my helmet which was being upgraded by few trustworthy engineers in HQ. So no recording of this show. It was a pity that Piett and Veers were waiting outside and missed it.

"Am I to understand that you could not spare a single Jedi general to go to Naboo?" Palpatine asked quietly.

"Unfortunate, it is." nodded Yoda.

Sidious glared. It was not a Sith patented one but it was good enough.

When it became clear that the Jedi had nothing to add I cleared my throat.

"I am sorry to interrupt but it appears that I am out of the loop. What is the problem, sir?"

"Separatists presence was found on Naboo. When it became clear that we would be unable to send forces there, queen Neeyutnee requested Jedi help. However at the moment we are unable to send anyone but few untrained Padawan, which is out of the question."

I was tempted to point out that there were a pair of obviously free Jedi in front of me. But perhaps Naboo was too backwater for the esteemed Council members to go there personally. I am sure that Palpatine had similar thoughts. I wondered what his game was. I remembered that something important was to happen on Naboo around this time but the details eluded me. Was there some kind of research facility hidden there?

The comm built in Palpatine's desk beeped. When he answered and I saw Padme Amidala, Jar-Jar and an opulently dressed woman whose face was covered with white and red makeup I knew that this was no coincidence. The Force was attempting to influence things around and I just knew it was towards something that I would not enjoy. Heh. That thought was probably the understatement of the decade. At least.

"Chancellor. Masters." The Queen gave them a small bow. "We attempted to contact the Jedi Council but were told that they were speaking with you."

"How can I help you my dear?" Palpatine smiled at his former and present Queen.

He was all sweet and helpful old man. Say what else you will about the man but he was a superb actor.

"We managed to retrieve some data from a damaged tactical droid." said Amidala.

"Please enlighten us, Senator." said Windu.

"The Separatists have some kind of research facility in the eastern swamps. The droid mentioned something about a virus."

"They plan to attack us. It's the only explanation." added Captain Typho.

"Delicate the situation is. Jedi to sent I wish..." said Yoda and was promptly interrupted by Amidala.

"I am recommending Generals Kenobi and Skywalker. The relationship with the Gungans are strained at present but they trust General Kenobi."

"Neither of them is available at present." said Windu.

"Hmm. Senator. Stretched thin the Order is."

"Then General Veil should make do." said Palpatine. "I am sure that the Order will sent Jedi as soon as possible." he added.

The Jedi Masters looked from the Chancellor to me and back. It was obvious that they expected that I would be tied up on Coruscant until my fleet was ready and by then they would have an agent ready.

Now they had a problem. It was obviously that they did not want to send me without supervision. But they had spent I don't know how long telling to Palpatine that there were no Jedi free. They could not free someone to watch me now. Not when a week ago Palpatine had put his leg down and told them that he "trusted" me and he won't condone such a waste of resources when I had not shown in any way my animosity to the Republic. He had went as far as to outright say that he had no time for some kind of conflict between me and the Jedi. Not when I had done so much for the Republic since my appearance. If Sidious suspected that I was a Sith he was keeping that information to himself. My only surprise was that the Jedi did not spill the beans about what I truly was.

"I'll assemble a Task Force and head to Naboo ASAP, sir. By your leave?" I declared.

Palpatine gave me a grave nod.

"Please do so my friend."

"Chancellor, Master Yoda, Master Windu." I gave them a small bow of respect which I did not feel and exited the office.

"Walk with me." I said to Piett and Veers. "We have a fire to put down. There is Separatists presence on Naboo and at the moment the cupboard is rather empty. We'll be heading there right after a battle group is assembled and we have at least a regiment that is ready for action loaded on the ships."

"That's a tall order, sir." Piett sighed.

"I am aware of that. We have our work cut off for us. And Veers. Welcome to the Eleventh corps."

**=RK=**

**Part 2**

**Republic Cruiser Requiem, High orbit over Coruscant**

It took us ten hours to assemble a regiment with their equipment for transport. On the face of it that was a great achievement. However the ground forces with the exception few select formations were not combat effective at that time. I knew that we'll be dealing with some kind of virus so I was not going to send down men who did not have good enough training and equipment for surviving in environment where such an WMD was released.

I hoped that we will be able to deal with that by the time we reached Naboo. I had the feeling that I won't need all forces straight away but that was no reason to slack.

On more positive note, I had managed to pull through a promotion for Pellaeon. He was a brand new commodore in overall command of my space forces. Those consisted of three Venators – my flag ship Requiem, Victory and Onderon, five Acclamators, including Leveler and Dauntless as well as six frigate escorts.

Those were the combat ready ships which were ready for deployment. At least on paper my fleet was supposed to be much bigger but such a force took a long time to assemble. Most of the new ships and ground forces were going as replacements to the formations engaged on the front lines. For the moment my command was assigned to the strategic reserve which explained why I was called on to clean up the mess on Naboo. There simply were no other a viable force at the moment.

I was on the bridge with my small staff and clone commander VC 541 'Vic', who was in charge of the clone troopers which we drafted for the mission to Naboo.

"Are we ready to depart?" I asked calmly, without showing any of the weariness I felt in my tone.

"Yes, General. My men are on board. However only one battalion and two reinforced companies are combat effective as we speak. We'll need at least a week for the whole Regiment to be ready, sir."

"Concentrate to the units that could be prepared faster. We may not have that long." I said. "Commodore, take charge of the Task Force. We are leaving."

"Yes, sir!" Pellaeon gave me a salute and went to follow my orders.

"Lieutenant Veers, I want you on the ground with me on this op. I want to judge your abilities for myself."

"Yes, sir!" Maximillian straightened up. "I won't disappoint you, General!"

"Carry on, men."

**=RK=**

City of Theed, Naboo

The journey to Naboo was barely long enough for us to have another battalion ready for combat. By the time we made orbit I had on my disposal two infantry battalions or to use the GAR lingo legions – a thousand men formations that were prepared for deployment. There were also two armor companies with walkers and one scout platoon. The rest of my ground forces would need at least two more days before I would consider sending them in combat. I hoped that it was enough.

I was in a LAAT descending towards the city of Theed. Let me tell you, the movies did not do it justice. Seeing the plateau on which it was built, while the setting sun was shining at it from the left made for a breathtaking sight. It was one of the most amazing things I've seen and I've been to three different universes.

We landed at what appeared to be the same hangar seen in the Phantom Menace, where we were met by captain Typho, a female gungan and C-3PO. I introduced myself and my companions – Piett and Veers. Not seeing the senator I rolled my eyes in exasperation.

"Let me guess, Captain. Senator Amidala went ahead by herself." I grumbled. As if dealing with a possible bio-weapon's lab was not complicated enough.

"Senator Padme can't be stopped when she makes up her mind." the droid added his two cents.

"Captain, I recommend that the next time you stun her." I said. "Where exactly did she run to?"

"This is Peppi Bay. Padme sent her here. She is the last person to see them."

"Them? Did she for a change decide to take guards with her this time?" I asked with forlorn hope.

It did not matter what was my personal opinion about Amidala and her antics. Hell even what Sidious thought about her was not that important in this situation. She was the Senator of Naboo, a former Queen and personal friend of the Chancellor. If she got herself killed on my watch it won't be good. And I was sure that Sidious would use such an opportunity to send me and my forces somewhere we won't be able to make too much trouble while using her death to further his agenda. I hate politics...

"Representative Binks is with her."

Of course he is. Getting rid of him should be achievable. I hoped. That bloody thing had the Devil's own luck!

"Am I wrong to assume that you are searching for them?" I asked.

Probably not. Not with Padme's luck. She undoubtedly was already captured and needed saving. Bloody politicians.

"Considering what happened we decided to wait for your arrival, General."

"Please enlighten us. I can't wait." My sarcasm was not lost on the Captain who winced.

"Ensign Piett, please go with the lady and check the last known location of the Senator and representative Binks."

"Yes, sir." Firmus saluted me and left with the woman.

Typho led us to a small ready room nearby which was dominated by a large holo-display in the form of a table. In its center was laid the head of B-1 droid. He pressed couple of buttons and a holographic representation of a humanoid man floated over the table.

"This is Dr. Nuvo Vindi. He was a famous doctor who disappeared years ago."

The resident mad scientists started a monologue about having enough Blue Shadow to start filling bombs with it. I winced. Vael was familiar with that kriffing disease. It was a nasty piece of work even by Sith standards. That right there should tell you something about the virus.

"If this abomination is released in enough key places, it can easily cause a Galactic Pandemic that will make the war look like a children spat."

"I'll have my ships scan the area. Let's hope that the Senator has not revealed that we suspect about the virus."

I contacted Pellaeon who sent the frigates to sweep over the eastern marshes from orbit. Five minutes later we had the location of the lab and its rough plans which showed three separate entrances as well as an area with increased radiation. That was most likely the armory where the bombs were assembled.

The CIS facility had at least ten circle shaped rooms and something which looked like a shaft leading to the surface. They all were connected with tunnels.

"This could get ugly. Veers I want you leading teams of demolitions experts to the armory. You are to disarm all bombs you find there. I'll go after our friendly WMD expert." I glanced at the Lieutenant who had his helmet in the crook of his left hand. "And don't forget that we are dealing with a bio weapon. I want the armors of all my men sealed."

Before we left I recalled Piett. Amidala and the gungan menace were most likely captured. If not we would have more enough time to search for them. Or if we fucked up they were dead anyway as well as most of the population of Naboo.

**=RK=**

CIS Bio-weapon's lab, Eastern Marshes, Naboo

I had no illusions that the perimeter of the Separatist's base was anything but seeded with copious amount of sensors. I had only a handful of clones who were trained for stealth insertions. If I had a squad or two of Republic commandos I would have led them in covertly so we would know what exactly we were dealing with. In such a case we would have done our best to seize the part of the base where the bombs were located and hold it while my main forces assaulted it. That was a luxury we did not have.

The attack began with an air strike by squadron of Torrent's which screamed in from orbit and launched missiles at the southern part of the base – as far from where we believed the bombs and the virus were located as possible. The evening which had descended over the marshes was illuminated by a crescendo of roaring explosions which shook the enemy facility to its foundations.

I was in the back of a LAAT which was in the first wave of our assault. Next to me a recovered Cat and his men were ready to rappel to the ground the moment we were over the target. The leading gunships unleashed AP missiles at the tunnels which were our chosen entrance points. On five separate places the ceilings of the base's corridors were breached. Seconds later there was a transport over each of the new entrances and clones were rappelling down.

I was the first out of my LAAT. I jumped out and for couple of seconds enjoyed the sensation of free falling. It would have been much better if I was not encased in my sealed armor which was now painted with an expensive "smart" paint which changed color depending on the environment. I wanted eventually all my men to have such a camouflage but at least for now that was too expensive to contemplate. Five thousand credits only for my armor and a kit which would repair the coating if it was damaged by enemy fire. When you consider that I wanted all my ground troops to have it you suddenly start talking for real money.

I turned in the air so I fell through the smoking hole in the ceiling feet first. I had myself enveloped by a field made from the Force so I hit the ground lightly – as if jumping from meter or two at the most. Behind me a pair of synthetic ropes fell in the corridor and Cat and his men followed.

The chatter of my other units deployed in the facility whispered in my ears.

"This is Veers! We are pinned down by destroyer droids!"

"Vic, vector AT teams to the Lieutenants position. All units advance." I ordered and closed my eyes concentrating on the whispers of the Force.

I could feel the somewhat dull presence of the clones. I could see where Veers was taking cover at an intersection and waving an AT team which had just jumped in behind him to deal with a trio of droidekas which were turning the path to the armory into a shooting gallery.

Ah. There. About a hundred meters from where I stood were three people, two of whom were familiar. Yep. Amidala and Jar-Jar got caught. Again. Number three must be my target. So I ran in that direction followed by Cat and ten clones. The rest of his men were fanning out to secure our rear.

The only resistance I faced were two B-1's and a single Super Battle droid. Needless to say, those machines were unable to even slow us down. I deflected blaster bolts at the two flimsy clankers and cut in two their big brother as I passed by it. On of the clones shot the SB in the face when he ran over it. Just in case I guess.

I found the Doc and his captives behind a blast door which was made mostly by a transparent material. I guess it was more for a virus containment than for stopping a determined assault. It took me five seconds to cut a circle in it and jump through. My men were right behind me.

"Senator. We should stop meeting like this."

Amidala and Jar-Jar were on the ground, next to some kind of generator. They were tied for something that was looking like a Tesla coil.

"Another step and your friends are dead!" sneered Vindi.

He pressed down a switch he was holding and they were shocked by arching bolts of electricity.

"Throw down your weapons!" he shouted.

"Idiot." I said.

The mad doctor screeched when I used telekinesis to snap his left hand like a twig and shut down the current coursing through his captives.

"Kill them!" he gasped an order to the droids in the room.

I darted forward and was amongst the robots before they could open fire. I telekinetically blasted the machines on my left at the nearby wall and deflected few shots from the faster droids on my other side. Cat and his troopers wasted no time and cheerfully started blasting the distracted clankers to little pieces.

I diagonally slashed through the torso of a B-1 druid, sent back couple of shots to another which few back disabled and slammed my lightsaber to the hilt in the chest of a Super Battle droid which was about to mow down my men with its wrist mounted dual blaster. I flourished my blade which was embedded in its torso and the droid fell to the ground in four glowing pieces.

The skirmish was over as fast as it began. The machines were down and only three of my men were wounded, none of them critical. However their armors were breached. Which was very bad considering that in the commotion Vindi had gotten his hale hand around a vial of blue gas.

"It's too late, fools!" Vindi shouted and threw it at the ground.

Before the vial could hit the metal floor and shatter I caught it gently with the Force. The doctor just grinned at me dementedly and looked at his shattered left arm. There was a metal brace around it with a prominent red button, in a circle around which were small lights glowing crimson. The first one blinked out.

"Time is running out!" he taunted.

"General we found the bombs! They are active." Veers called over the comm.

"Start disarming them."

I stared at the mad man who had his head protected by a transparent crystal dome. I could see it in his eyes. There was no way to remotely disarm the bomb.

"In the unlikely event we are unable to stop all the bombs you'll be taking some of your medicine. "I said and used my powers to shatter the bubble protecting him.

"Commander Vic I want all of my men whose armor was breached to evacuate back to the decontamination areas set up on the Assault Ships. Veers, disarm the bombs and check if they contain vials of the virus. We can't afford to miss ever one of those things. Lieutenant Cat, get Senator Amidala and Binks out of here."

"Wait a minute! I am going nowhere until I know that Naboo is safe." snapped Padme.

"Stun her if you have to." I ordered and went out.

I knew that there was something important I was forgetting. I was wondering what it was when I sensed a movement in a side corridor. I found there a ridiculously looking, small droid which was clutching a bomb in its manipulators. Ah. That was it. I plucked the bomb from its clutches and sent a lightning bolt at the little bugger. I watched with satisfaction as its circuits fried under the onslaught and then its plating started melting. He'll unleash a virus on my men, won't he? Serves him right!

I disarmed the bomb and retrieved the vial. Well that was done.

I was such a fool to think that it would be that easy...

**=RK=**

Near the City of Theed, Naboo

A figure cloaked in a black mantle was leaning on a tree overlooking the river that passed through the capital of Naboo. He had watched the opening stages of the assault over the research lab before Republic jamming cut off the feeds. He waited for five minutes before sending a signal to one of a few heavily shielded against detection listening stations spread around the facility. They were connected with the lab by landlines so the jamming was not an issue. With that done the man whose face was hidden by a black mask went to a speeder bike parked nearby. He retrieved four spherical devices from a compartment at the back of his ride and went to the river. He pressed two buttons on each of the small drones and threw them in the water. The current would do the rest.

He returned to his speeder and activated a holocomm which was built in it. A figure whose features were hidden by similar cloak appeared.

"Phase one is done my master." rasped the man on Naboo.

"Well done. We shall have our vengeance."

The man was long gone by the time the drones detonated on the outskirts of the city. Soon Theed was engulfed by a blue mist.

**=RK=**

CIS Bio-weapons lab, eastern marshes, Naboo

I was near a LAAT on the surface over the enemy base with the doctor who was in our custody. We were waiting for Cat who was escorting a protesting Amidala to the gunships. She had decided to comply without needing to be stunned but was making it clear how displeased she was with the poor Lieutenant. That's when hell was unleashed.

Subdued thumps sounded through the facility. Ear-piercing alarms started blaring. I turned my head to the nearest hole in the ground which was leading to the underground base.

"Veers, report!"

"Some kind of internal detonations, General. The containment procedures on the base are going in effect. There is blue smoke coming from the vents!" he reported.

"Get out of there! Now!" I ordered.

"General! We have a serious problem over here!" Piett shouted over the comm.

"What's happening? We are little busy ourselves."

"There are waves of blue mist coming over the rivers passing through the city!" shouted my aide.

"God damn it! Piett please tell me that you have your kriffing helmet on and your armor is sealed."

"Uh... Yes, sir. "

"I want you to liaise with captain Typho and confirm whether mist is the Blue Shadow." I switched to another channel. "Commodore Pellaeon, I trust that you are monitoring the situation on the ground. All hell is breaking loose over here. I have confirmed release of Blue Shadow in my location and possible Bio attack on Theed. On my authority from this moment on Naboo is under quarantine. You are to deploy your forces as you deem fit in order to enforce it. No one is leaving this world without my permission. "

I turned my attention to Vindi.

"As for you." I telekinetically raised him in the air. "Where is the antidote?"

"You are mistaken, Jedi. I was hired to revive the virus and make it airborne. There is no cure!" he chuckled.

I chuckled grimly.

"You are the one mistaken, fool. I am no Jedi." I raised my right hand so he could see purple lightning dancing between my fingers. "You will tell me everything even if I have to tear it from your mind piece by piece." I hissed.

**=RK=**

**Part 3**

**Republic Cruiser Requiem, High orbit over Naboo**

I gazed at the green planet over which my Flag ship floated. To my right Commodore Pellaeon was staring at Naboo with stern expression on his face. Looking at this emerald jewel from here you would never suspect how grim the situation was on the surface.

Theed was in shambles. The city's law enforcement and medical services were swamped and order was breaking down. According to the latest estimates about sixty percent of the population was infected in the first hour after the Blue Shadow was unleashed. By the time people knew what was happening it was all too late.

I shook my head. You'd expect that a capital city in this day and age would have some measures to combat a bio attack. To be fair the Nubians had excellent doctors with state of the art facilities. But no one was prepared for attack of such a scale. To make matters worse, there was no warning either, however at least for that there was a good explanation – not to spook any CIS agents who could have warned the lab. For all the good it did.

From my point of view there were few good news. First, most of the craft which had a reasonable chance to run the blockade were under the control of the local defense forces and were kept under lock and key. For now at least. Second – the general populace actually (mostly) listened when I ordered the quarantine. Which meant that people were getting away from the affected regions and the officials controlling the damns down the river passing through Theed, (I probably should have remembered its damn name) were doing their best to close the few damns where the spread of the Virus could be slowed down if not contained.

And most important was the outcome from my conversation with Palpatine, select Senators as well as Yoda and Windu. My thoughts drifted to that "chat" which took place five hours ago.

**Flashback**

The holocomm sparkled to life with a short hiss of static. Six blue tinted figures appeared over the low holographic projector.

I nodded at the senators who were introduced to me. Gran Moe, Gram Ben Iblis and Bail Organa. Multiple eyes glared hard at me.

"General Veil, explain your actions!"

Organa fixed me with a hard stare which I returned calmly. I've been stared down by professionals who had not only the power but the willingness to flay my skin for the fun of it. The good senator's glare was not remotely impressive.

"I did what is necessary to ensure the security of your worlds and the Republic as a whole, Senators. Would you want to explain to your people why their loved ones are chocking to death on the Blue Shadow when a potential galactic pandemic could be stopped easily by blockading one world?"

"That's not..." spluttered Organa.

"General, what is the situation on the ground?" Ben Iblis calm voice interrupted him.

"The virus is spreading towards the eastern swamps. Theed is covered with the stuff after charges containing Blue Shadow were detonating in the river passing through the city. The resulting mist contained both the standard and airborne variants. Before anyone knew what was happening a significant percentage of the populace was infected. The last estimate I saw was about fifty percent of Theed's citizens were exposed. It's too early to say how many of them had caught the virus. I've ordered all space flights canceled and the population far enough from the affected regions to move further away. It is unclear if they were further attacks on the planet. "

"Isn't this a bit harsh and premature action?" asked senator Moe. His three eye-stalks were shifting in agitation.

"Considering how dangerous this particular bio-weapon is, quarantine is the best course of action. Do you want to contemplate what will happen if the Blue Shadows spreads to multiple star systems at a time of a war? Especially while the Separatists are still on the offensive? The GAR is stretched too thin as it is. To make things worse I do not have the forces necessary to mount an effective blockade of Naboo. If the virus spreads further..." I trailed off.

"Grim news, this is." sighed Yoda. "Contained this outbreak must be."

"Chancellor Palpatine, as officer in charge at Naboo I need orders on how to proceed." I asked. "I need instructions in case the Blue Shadow could not be contained at its present locations and threatens to go out of control. "

"What do you suggest, general?" asked Palpatine warily.

"Permission to draw contingency plans for sterilizing the sites of the outbreak." I said with a straight face." I have not wish to go to such terrible lengths to stop the Blue Shadow from claiming the whole world but the affected area might have to be incinerated from orbit. This is request I do not make lightly and deeply regret the loss of life that will ensure if it becomes necessary. However if ordered I will do so in order to preserve the rest of Naboo and its inhabitants."

"This is madness!" shouted Organa and jumped from his seat. He pointed an accusing finger at me. "To even contemplate such a thing..."

"What would you have me do, senator? Let a whole world die from some misguided sense of mercy?" I asked coldly. "There are five million souls in Theed and the affected region of the marshes. Over three hundred million on the rest of the planet. We are not living in some children's holo-novel with a guaranteed happy ending. This is the real world, senators! Wishful thinking will not save the people of Naboo."

I took a deep breath. Bloody politicians!

"I have the man who created the airborne strain of the virus in custody and interrogated him. He modified the Blue Shadow for easier spread and to be viable for hours out in the air. The only good news is that the death rate is down to about eighty percent of the people infected with it. However depending on how much of the virus got into a person's bloodstream, the kriffing thing could have an incubating period of up to a week without the sick man showing any symptoms. I do not need to tell you how far someone could travel in such a span of time."

"That's a dire news indeed." muttered Windu.

He was frowning and judging by the look in his eyes the Jedi Master was deep in thought.

"What about a cure or vaccine?" asked Ben Iblis.

"Last I time I heard from Captain Typho in Theed they had leads to a possible cure but I have not received anything more concrete yet. But even if cure is found it will take some time before it could be manufactured in sufficient quantities and distributed. Not to mention that it will be probably months until all traces of the virus are erased and the quarantine of Naboo could be safely lifted."

"We need to create a commission which is to investigate what is happening on Naboo." declared senator Moe.

"Senator, senator." I chided. "This is the same thing you proposed when the Trade federation invaded Naboo all those years ago. We all know how that endeavor ended. Don't you think that the situation is radically different? What would you do if a shipload of people from Theed reaches your home-world? The consequences of those people disembarking in one of your largest space ports and mingling with the crowds will not be too big a problem, will it? After all this could not be such important and time sensitive issue... Not when you suggest that a commission which would take months, perhaps years to do anything, must handle this crisis. Too bad that the inhabitants of Theed would be dead by then..."

"You dare mock me in such a way?" the gram roared.

"Gentlemen! Enough!" Palpatine had to raise his voice to calm down his crony.

"My apologies, Chancellor. I have a low tolerance for fools who are disconnected from the real world. What are your orders concerning the situation on Naboo?" I asked calmly.

"Maintain the quarantine, general. I will dispatch additional forces to assist you. Find out if there is a cure and if there is make all possible efforts to ensure that it is produced and distributed among the infected."

"Yes, sir. And if the virus could not be contained?" I asked innocently.

Palpatine looked at the people in his office then at me.

"That is to be determined at later date. Carry on your duties, general."

**Flashback End**

To be fair that went better than expected. Making an enemy from one of Palpy's boot lickers was of no concern to me. The animosity from Bail Organa might be somewhat problematic down the road. I needed the Republic, if I decided to keep it around, to be highly militarized. That however meant that most of the more pacifistic senators would eventually become my political enemies. At the least.

While that was a problem which I would have to tackle after this war was resolved, there was no reason not to do anything I could to weaken them if the opportunity presented itself.

"Admiral Yularen's fleet should be here any moment, sir. "the bubble of silence that had descended upon us was shattered by Pellaeon's quiet words.

"Excellent. We are leaving towards Iego as soon as I speak with the good Admiral.

Few hours ago, Captain Typho contacted us with not only an update of how bad was the situation on the ground but with the news that they had determined what was the key ingredient of the cure for the Blue Shadow – an extract of a Reeska root which could be found only on one place. I remembered that there was some kind of a trap so I decided to go there with a Venator cruiser. However that in turn meant that in order to preserve the blockade I needed to wait for Yularen and his ships. A Jedi would probably rushed there with whatever flying thing he could get his hands on but that was not the case with me. Perhaps few weeks ago I might have done something equally foolish but nowadays my actions were driven mostly by pragmatism. It would help no one if I went in search for the root half-cocked and got myself killed.

I was looking at a pair of Torrent fighters which were returning from a patrol when then big shapes jumped out of hyperspace. The familiar triangular shapes of Republic cruisers and Assault Ships greeted my sight.

"Contact Admiral Yularen's Flag ship and prepare for hyper jump. Look alive people! We have work to do!" I ordered.

A holographic display popped to life in front of the window through which I was looking. That reminded me. As soon as possible I should get myself in a position to influence the warship designs. Who in his right mind put the bridge of a combat ship in a tower over the superstructure? With windows no less?!

The familiar face of the older man appeared in the display.

"Admiral Yularen. It's good to see you again. I just hoped it to be under better circumstances."

"General Veil. Congratulations for the promotion. What is the situation on the planet?"

I gave him a short summary and sent him a full briefing compiled by my officers.

"Admiral, I have a lead on a possible cure. I'll be taking the Requiem and heading there. I'll leave this mess in your capable hands."

He glared at me. It was obviously that he was not happy that I was dumping this clusterfuck in his hands. Tough. Skywalker was still recovering from the wounds received when he saved Aayla Secura and Kenobi was on some kind of a mission far away from here. So the famous duo was not here to save the day.

"I am not too thrilled to leave you in such a situation Admiral. But the sooner we have a viable cure the faster this mess could be cleaned up and we can return to winning the war." I smiled apologetically.

Yularen shook his head and gave me an exasperated look.

"It's not like I can order you around." he grumbled. "Good luck, General."

"To you too. I hope that Senator Amidala won't be too troublesome."

The Admiral glared at me and frowned.

"You are going in search of the cure just to get away from her, aren't you?"

I gave him an encouraging smile.

"I don't know what you are talking about! You have command over Task Force Requiem. May the Force be with you." I said to Yularen and ordered Pellaeon to get us on the way.

**=RK=**

**Nal Hutta, Hut controlled space**

A blue skinned alien male was sitting on a chair at a corner table with his back to the wall. He was giving evaluating glances to the other patrons of the cantina which was one of his favorite drinking holes. He sipped from a mug filled with a steaming black beverage and sighed with pleasure. His was job had paid an extraordinary good amount of credits considering that it was an easy grab of a Twi'lek who had tried to desert the CIS with stolen data. The dumb fool was back in the clutches of his former employers who were very interested in having a heart to heart chat with him.

Life for the bounty hunter Bane was good lately if somewhat boring. He smirked. He needed something harder to do in order to get his blood pumping and make him feel alive. After all despite what most people thought he was not in this profession just for the money...

A figure cloaked by a black, hooded mantle entered the cantina and scanned its inhabitants. Bane's right hand instinctively fell to the butt of his blaster as he studied the newcomer who noticed him and headed his way. There was something in the approaching man that made the bounty hunter feel uneasy.

"Bane, my master has a proposition for you. One that will make you a very rich man." rumbled a digitally distorted voice.

The bounty hunter looked at the man under his hat. The stranger had said the magic words.

"I am all ears. Just don't waste my time."

The masked man chuckled.

**=RK=**

**Part 4**

**Republic Cruiser Requiem, near The World of Thousand Moons**

"That may be an issue." muttered Pellaeon.

He was watching the multiple moons, asteroids and the shattered remains of dozens of ships orbiting Iego which created a veil around the planet.

"I did not know that you are such a master of understatement, commodore." I quipped. "Don't worry, I have no intention of taking the Requiem into that mess. I'll go with couple of LAAT's and a squadron of fighters as escorts. Get a CAP running. I hope that whatever had done in those ships is not around. We don't have time for a prolonged battle."

"That's true, sir."

**=RK=**

Flying through the mess that was surrounding the planer and its moons was interesting. It was challenging even for me while I was not relying on the Force to guide my every motion. That gave me new appreciation about the skills of the clone pilots accompanying me.

Two LAATs and six fighters were the contingent I was taking down to the planet. The rest of Raider squadron was on patrol around the Requiem.

On the way through the asteroid field which was filled with shards of destroyed ships, we could see a lot of bodies, belonging to scores of different species, frozen solid in the void. It took us five minutes of careful piloting to pass through the sphere of debris surrounding the planet before we could fly reasonably fast again.

I frowned under my sealed helmet. The Force... It was tugging me in a specific direction. It was not the way it usually tried to warn me about something. The way it felt, it was like an overly eager puppy trying to pull you somewhere and show you something that had caught its interest. I checked the scanners. There was a power reading emanating from that direction. With a shrug I vectored my craft that way and ordered my troops to follow.

After a turbulent descent through the upper layers of the atmosphere my small force headed towards the heart of a vast city which looked like it was abandoned some time ago. It had a strange feeling about it – a mix of high tech looking building and ancient ones with a lot of the spires rising kilometers in the air being a confusing mix from the two.

I landed my LAAT on the platform towards which the Force was guiding me followed by the second troop transport. The fighters circled lazily above us ready to pounce at the first sight of a treat. I got out of the cockpit and joined the twenty clones who had disembarked. Half the clones were carrying blaster carbines with the rest armed with a mix of heavy weaponry. Missile launchers, laser cannons and heavy blasters.

"Sir, we are ready." said the sergeant in command of the clone troopers.

"Good. Lets..." I trailed off.

We heard sound of the marching feet of a lot of droids coming towards us and I congratulated myself for insisting that my men break out the big guns. The clones took what little cover could be found on the landing path and prepared for combat with me in front of them. The fighters were ready to provide air support. Then the clankers appeared from the shadows. B-1 droids marching in a perfect square formation. I could feel a force sensitive approaching from behind them.

"Is this some kind of a joke?" exclaimed one of my men.

It was a sentiment I shared when I took a good look at what was approaching us. This had to be some kind of an elaborate trap! Who have the gall to send a bunch of failing apart droids against me?!

The phalanx of machines were carrying the sings of being rebuild multiple times with whatever spare parts were laying around. One of the B-1 had a left hand of a Supper Battle droid attached to its torso. Many others showed parts which were colored differently from the rest of their bodies – darker or lighter depending on how old they were. The robot leading the procession had its head painted in yellow showing it was a command model.

"Welcome to Iego!" they started chanting.

"Do we blast the clankers or what?" asked a clone.

"It will be a mercy." added another.

"Hold your fire." I said looking warily at the two vulture droids in walker configuration moving behind the square of B-1's.

I walked to the front of the machines and asked:

"To what do we own this reception?"

The command droid tilted its head to the left and looked at me.

"His excellency Jaybo wants to meet with you."

"Is that so? Then by all means lead the way."

The machines moved with a precision that showed that their condition was not as bad as it looked like and parted leaving a way in the middle of their group. I could see behind them that there was a hammock suspended between the legs of the two vultures. A short, red haired boy was sitting on it and looking at us with interest.

"The Jedi are god damn idiots!" I grumbled.

The moment I laid my eyes on the kid I remembered what was supposed to happen on this Force forsaken world. The root which was actually belonged to a bunch of overgrown, carnivorous weeds, the defense system preventing ships from leaving the planet. And the kid. Who was Force sensitive. And the kriffing Kenobi and Skywalker had just let him to rot in this hole. Undoubtedly because he was "too old" for training. Jedi...

I removed my helmet and took a deep breath of cool, clean air.

"Hi there!" I smiled to the boy.

He ignored me and glared at the droids to his left.

"Ahem." the boy cleared his throat loudly.

"Oh. Yes. Roger that!"

One of the robots who was carrying a fan mounted on a pole which it started waving at the kid. Another came near the hammock carrying a tray with dried fruit and a third which was made into a walking radio started fiddling searching a something interesting to listen to.

"This a nice set up you've got here. And you have a great taste." I said and nodded towards the wall to the right which was covered with poster of scantily clad women from different human-like species. "Where did you get the clankers?"

"The Separatists left a whole warehouse full of the things when they left. It wouldn't do to let poor things rust away, would it?"

"So you erased their memories, probably with a macro protocol and reprogrammed them to serve you. Not bad for someone so young."

"Are you a Jedi?" he asked and pointed at my lightsaber which I had started wearing on my belt. With another in the secret compartment in my armor...

"Nope. What gave you that idea?"

Jaybo snorted in amusement.

"Lightsaber and clones who appear to be under your command." he deadpanned.

"I do use the Force. However I am most definitely not a Jedi, kiddo. We are looking for Reeska roots. Do you know where we could find some of those?"

"Here. There. Everywhere." he said and lied back into his hammock.

"I can pay you to lead us to the roots. Might let you hitch a ride with us back to the civilization if you wish. "

"No use. This system is cursed. Or so they say. No one can leave. The last one to try was a friend of mine. He did not make it far."

"I know what shoots down the ships trying to get away from here. There is a weapon array on one of the moons. I have a cruiser beyond the asteroid field which can make a short work of it once it is located."

The kid jumped from his hammock and looked at me carefully. We locked eyes for a few long seconds.

"You are not joking around, are you?" Jaybo asked with a trace of hope in his voice.

"Nope. And my offer still stands. Both of them."

Before we left to search for the root I contacted the commodore and instructed him to scan the moons for the weapon preventing us from leaving the planet.

**=RK=**

The kid led us to a canyon to the east of the city. He pointed us towards a couple of green vines snacking down the cliffs.

"No climbing down for us boys." I said to the clones and called one of the LAAT's. The canyon was more than wide enough for the gunship to fit.

I jumped in with a mixed group of heavy armored troopers and clones carrying simple blasters. We flew down following the lines. Couple of brown creatures resembling mutated bats tried to scare the transport from their territory but few blaster shots discouraged the beasties.

It took us only a minute to find a cave opening in which the vines disappeared.

"Be careful in there. We do not know what may be guarding the roots." I said and vaulted forward.

I landed ten meters lower on the inside of the dark cave. The clones followed suit and started sweeping the surrounding area. I led the way and when I was near the place where the vines disappeared in the rocky ground the floor fifteen meters in front of me exploded reveling a twisted mass of vines and four huge jaws of carnivorous plants.

"Light up that thing!" I ordered.

The plant screeched when it was hit by multiple blaster bolts. Two rotatory cannons sliced into it with like a huge saw blades. Pieces of plant matter flew in all directions as well as drops of green juice which resembled blood. I pulled an incendiary grenade from my belt and threw it at the thrashing flora. It blew up with a subdued 'Whooosh' and engulfed the still alive being in blue flames. It let a last, ear-piercing screech before falling down in a burning heap.

The rock to my right exploded showering me with stone fragments and from it a pair of green jaws darted towards me. I jumped back away from its path and grabbed the hilt of my weapon. My lightsaber snapped to life and I slashed vertically at the "neck" of the plant which tried to bite me in half. Its "head" fell away from the thick vine that was its body and fell to the ground where it continued to snap its jaws in a futile effort to bite something. The sergeant shot it twice with his heavy blaster burning huge holes in its jaws. It gave a long, piteous hiss and lied still.

"Good work. Be on your guard. There may be more of those things around. "

We loaded our backpacks with the precious roots and made our way to the waiting LAAT. If there were more of those plants in the cave they decided that discretion was the better part of valor and stayed put.

**=RK=**

We gave Jaybo a ride to the landing platform where the other LAAT waited for us with the remaining clones. I contacted Pellaeon who had bad news. Thanks to all the junk floating around Requiem was unable to get conclusive scans of the moons. It was time for plan B.

"So you believe you could lift the curse?" Jaybo bounced on his feet.

"It's a weapons system and yes. But my ship has a trouble detecting its location. We need a bait to detect it. "I looked at the two vultures which were minding their own business. "Say, kid, how many of those things do you have operational? And how much for them?" I asked cheerfully.

"A few. What do you have in mind?"

I smiled at Jaybo and filled him in on my plan.

**=RK=**

**Republic cruiser Requiem, near Iego**

Commodore Pellaeon was looking over the shoulder of one of his sensor operators. The powerful scanners of the cruiser were barely able to detect the four contacts flying fast from the planet. There were simply too many debris which were giving out sensor ghosts. However there was no problem with detecting the massive energy surge emanating from the surface of one of the moons.

A yellow energy beam jumped from a weapon emplacement on the planetoid and started bouncing from pieces of ships and asteroids. It crated an impregnable energy net in which the four Separatists fighters were shredded.

"Weapons lock on that location and fire at will!" ordered Pellaeon.

Huge, twin linked turbo-laser cannons rotated in their mounts and targeted a specific spot on the moon then fired. Blue bolts of compressed particles lanced through the void evaporating the junk standing in their path. It took Requiem nearly three minutes to blow a hole through the asteroids and debris before its guns could strike straight at the moon. A concentrated salvo from the cruiser board side hit the place from which the yellow beam emanated.

Energies which could be measured in the gigatons snuffed out of existence the weapon holding the populace of Iego as prisoners.

Requiem continued to bombard the moon until the side where attack came was a glowing ocean of molten rock.

**=RK=**

**Unnamed city, Iego**

I watched the fireworks with a smirk on my face. Many of the people stranded on this planet were outside watching the light show in orbit. They were talking excitedly when they saw the invisible from here Requiem BDZ one of the moons.

"And that's that kid. No more 'ghost'." I declared.

I went in front of Jaybo who was looking at the heavens through a binoculars. I knelt and floated my lightsaber over the palm of my right hand.

That got his attention and for the moment he forgot the fires in orbit.

"That's so cool!" the kid exclaimed, looking at my hand with huge eyes.

"Please tell me, Jaybo, has some strange things happened around you? Items moving by themselves? Have you felt that sometimes you see things before they happen?" I asked him quietly.

He looked away from my eyes and muttered something I could not understand.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Su'm times when I work on the droids a tool I need floats to my hands..." he murmured.

"It's nothing to worry about, Jaybo. That is just a sign that you could use the Force if you receive training."

He perked at that and a huge grin appeared on his face.

"Does that mean that I can become a Jedi?!" he exclaimed and looked at me with star filled eyes.

I shook my head sadly.

"That is unlikely. You see, in all their 'wisdom' the Jedi refuse to train someone who is older than a toddler. The oldest boy I knew that they trained was nine and they barely agreed to do it. You are how old? Twelve? Fourteen?" I asked carefully. My face was a mask reflecting how sorry I was about the Jedi's foolish policies.

"I became thirteen last month." he grumbled sadly.

"Ah. It's all right you know. The Jedi are not the only ones who could train you in the Force." I trailed off. "You see..."

I smiled. I had his undivided attention.

**=RK=**

**Part 5**

**Republic Cruiser Requiem, Blockade over Naboo**

I watched news reports on what was happening down in Theed on a holo-display projected on the bridge. Most of the crew here were glancing from their station to see the events unfolding below us.

Small, news droids, were buzzing around the city and catching on camera the tragedy in progress. It was the day after we came back from Lego and the hospitals on Naboo were already busy synthesizing copious amounts of the cure. However for many people it would be too late. The water borne strain of the virus killed too fast. Already there were tens of thousands dead with the number raising fast. The few stasis tanks which were available to the doctors on the planet and whatever the fleet could spare were full but that barely covered twelve thousand people. It was not even a drop in the bucket compared to the millions infected. The most optimistic projections were looking at least a million and half dead with a twice that number of people that would take months to recover.

It was a clusterfuck of epic proportions. At least Amidala had calmed somewhat once Skywalker managed to escape from the hospital frigate where he was recovering and made his way to Theed.

I glanced outside the bridge through one of the windows. I could see a lot of transport ships which were disgorging hundreds of shuttles fill with relief supplies and doctors volunteering to help. The most important commodity was coming from the Medical Ship "New Hope" - a two kilometer long titan filled with some of the best medical equipment and doctors in the galaxy. Its shuttles were disgorging fifty thousand more stasis pods which would help save a lot of people.

Before the start of the war there were twenty five of those mobile hospitals but they as well as any other medical assets the Republic had were primary target for the CIS. Only ten of the leviathans were still intact enough to travel through hyperspace.

My attention went to the tac-pad in my hands. On it a message from the Chancellor's office stared me in the face. In its endless wisdom the senate had called an emergency session to discus the events of Naboo. I was to make my way there as soon as the situation on the surface had stabilized and bring Senator Amidala with me.

I smirked. I had delegated the task with retrieving Padme to Skywalker. I suggested to him to mention that it would be great for Naboo if she makes her case in front of the Senate personally.

I don't know what he said to her but they should be leaving Theed within the hour.

I returned my attention to the news. It showed someone high in the CIS ranks. I had no idea who that was or even the species it belonged to.

"_I repeat, we in the CIS, had nothing to do with that monstrous deed on Naboo. We are ready to provide all possible help to ease the suffering of the people from Theed." _the insectoid continued droning apologies.

As if someone was going to believe it. With Vindi in custody and singing like canary it was a foregone conclusion.

**=RK=**

I found my apprentice in one of the hanger bays, buried into the mechanic guts of a LAAT transport's engine. Most of said propulsion unit's innards were strewn on the deck next to the gunship. I could see four technicians around Jaybo. They were looking at what he was doing and giving him suggestions on how to fix the craft.

When I brought him on board the previous day, Jaybo had taken a long bath and a warm meal before heading to find something mechanical to thinker with. He had ended in one of the hangars where the mechanics had adopted him like a kind of a mascot.

My musings were terminated by the arrival of a particular rust bucked which landed near me. A furious Senator stormed from the back of the back of the old transport and headed towards me with a single-mindedness common for a guided missile.

When Amidala was close enough her right hand snapped in a perfectly executed motion to deliver a slap on my face. I caught her palm in my armored fingers and rolled my eyes at her antics.

"Senator. You've spoken with your friends on Coruscant, I see." I deadpanned.

Behind her scowling face I could see Skywalker hurrying to join us. He was not too pleased either if his thunderous expression was anything to go by.

"You wanted to bomb Theed!" she screeched in a distinctly uncharacteristic way.

I do not think that she ever lost her composure in such a way in either the movies or cartoon.

"Definitely. If the cure turns out to be a bust and the Blue Shadow is not contained that would be the prudent course of action, Senator. The last time I checked you were represented the whole world of Naboo and not only the capital. Would you endanger all inhabitants of your own world instead doing what is necessary if the worst happens?" I asked her in an even tone.

"There are five million people in Theed! You'd slaughter them just like that?" asked Anakin with a disgusted expression on his face.

"If that is what it takes to protect the remaining few hundred million people on the planet, Jedi. What would you do? Watch most of them die?" I sneered.

"The Council was right about you! You are a heartless monster!" spat Anakin.

"Amidala, despite being a Senator for years you are still a naive child. And you, Skywalker. Where is your valued Jedi stoicism right now? The universe does not care for your ideals or good intentions. Neither does the Blue Shadow. If it is not contained it will murder between sixty and eighty percent of all living beings down there!" I pointed at the deck and the surface of the world below us.

Anakin glared daggers at me. His right hand was clamped around the hilt of his lightsaber. I could see the emotions rampaging through his heart as clear as a day. Frustration. Anger. Love. And fear. The latest was like a parasite worming its way within the recesses of his heart. It was blinding him.

It was obvious that he had no experience with managing his emotions. They were drowning him. Leaving him confused and open for manipulation. I had no doubt that as he was right now, Skywalker would be receptive to the lures of the Dark side.

"Tell me Senator. What would you do? Would you watch the virus spreading all over Naboo and choking your paradise of a world? Or if it comes to it would you have the courage to do what is necessary to save your planet? What about you, Skywalker? How many people must die so you could keep your "high" moral ground? Please enlighten me?"

"It will never come to that! There is help coming to Naboo from all over the Republic! Even if the virus spreads we'll be able to save most people! The cure is already in production!"

"At what cost, senator? Did you even wonder where all those medical ships were before the current emergency? How many more would be needed if the quarantine of Theed and the swamps fail? How many people across the galaxy will die because necessary support is diverted here? The world is not black and white no matter how much some people try to convince you otherwise." I said looking Anakin in the eyes.

Amidala opened her mouth to protest but thought for a moment and snapped it shut. She looked down crestfallen.

So she was aware just how thin the logistics and medical assets of the Republic were stretched.

"That is not something I thought about." muttered Amidala. But when she raised her head to look at me the fire was back in her eyes. "But that does not change the point! Your cavalier disregard for life goes against all principles the Republic holds dear!"

"Tell that to the masses all around the galaxy who are afraid that the virus would escape Naboo and crawl its way to their little corners of the universe. If you want to blame someone for this mess please target your righteous wrath to the real culprits – the CIS agents who created this abomination and later released it." I turned my cold gaze at Skywalker. "The aura of fear you are giving out is irritating. Your girlfriend is right here and safe so chill out."

I gave him my best grin.

"By the way when is the wedding? Though considering Amidala's mood I am definitely off the list of invited."

Skywalker growled at me and took a step in my direction.

"Is everything all right, sir?" asked one of the clones who was with Jaybo.

I kept my face a blank mask but internally smirked. I could sense the four clones and Jaybo behind me glaring at the pair.

"It's all right. We just had a little harmless chat. Is that right?"

Anakin shook his head and looked around us. Most of the clones in the hangar had stopped whatever they were doing and were looking at the spectacle with interest.

"Weren't the Jedi supposed to be calm and composed all the time?" Jaybo pipped in.

"You see, my young apprentice, when one of them..." I smiled at the kid and pointed at Anakin, "... is confronted with their feelings, they have no idea how to deal with it. By suppressing their emotions they are caught off guard when, inevitably, their passion breaks to the surface. He is a case in point. You could almost taste his anger and fear. As well as his love and devotion to the delectable Senator. At least she could be sure that his feelings for her are genuine."

I smirked at the couple who were doing a great impression of fish thrown out of the water. I could see a rapid succession of embarrassment, mortification and anger passing over their faces.

**=RK=**

**Part 6**

**Republic Cruiser Requiem, Blockade over Naboo**

"Oh, get over yourselves!" I shook my head at the shocked kids. "The only reason the rest of the Jedi are not all over you two is the fact that most of those idiots won't recognize love if it hit them over the head. If they were not too busy pretending that they have no emotions you would have been found out few days after falling for each other."

Skywalker had the good grace to look embarrassed by my words. Everything I told them was true.

Back on Earth when I watched Episode two and three it bugged me how those lovebirds could carry on for years under the collective noses of the Jedi. Now, when I had access to the Force, it was mind boggling. If at least few of the Order members paid any attention the Skywalkers secret would have been out week after their marriage. At worst.

"Next thing you'll tell me is that you two have no plans for when the Jedi find out what you've been up to."

The guilty looks they gave me were answer enough. Splendid.

"Walk with me."

I led the stunned couple to the nearest ready room from where I banished a bunch of pilots who were busy swapping tall tales. I cited important Jedi business as the reason.

When the last clone exited I pointed the Skywalkers to a pair of nearby chairs.

"Sit. And you can natter me about Naboo later, Senator. For the moment the quarantine is holding so Theed is reasonably safe beyond the obvious."

Amidala frowned at me but sat down next to her husband. I was ready to bet that if she had not been through hell for the last few days she wound not have been so docile. Not that I had anything against it. She had spent half the time helping and reassuring the infected and the rest by arguing with me. You could say that by now I was painfully familiar with her temper and sharp tongue.

I summoned a chair and sat down facing them. Jaybo from whom I could feel waves of curiosity, followed suit and watched us with rapt attention.

"Is it really that obvious?" groaned Anakin.

I smirked at them.

"Well, you could have made it a bit easier to see. By paying for advertisement in rush hour on Coruscant and calling for press conference to confirm it..."

Skywalker face-palmed.

"They are going to expel me..." he groaned.

"Throw out one of their better generals in a time of war? Because you've fallen in love? Surely you are exaggerating a bit. If it was a peace time the Council might have considered it, but now?" I played the ignorance card. But to be fair I had a hard time believing that the Jedi Masters could do something that dumb. Such a stunt would give me and Palpatine a lot of ammo to use against the Council.

"They will either throw me out or make me choose between the Jedi and Padme!" Skywalker moaned.

"Oh, Anakin..." muttered Amidala and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Am I wrong to presume that won't be too big a setback?" I asked. The way those two were looking at each other was making it clear what Skywalker was going to choose. No contest.

"Are you joking?" grumbled Padme. "That will destroy Anakin's life! Being Jedi is who and what he is!"

"Thanks. But I am more concerned what it would do to you. I am sure that those vultures in the senate would use that to attack you. Not to mention the reporters. Those vultures would have a field day..."

That was surprising. The Chosen one actually was using his head for a change. And he was right about the circus in which their relationship would be turned by the media. On the other hand, when the secret was out, if the news got handled in the right way, it could become a PR coup for the correct people and unmitigated disaster for the Order...

I gave the married couple my best friendly smile.

"Skywalker, by expelling you from the Order, the Council will do more harm to its credibility than anything else. Anakin, even if the GAR is forced to strip you of command because you could no longer be a "Jedi General" I can assure you that by the end of the day there will be a lot of people begging you to accept a commission with equivalent rank. Besides that would solve the greatest problem for anyone expelled by the Jedi – no roof over one's head and no income. As you very well know, being a Republic general pays well. And I doubt that your girlfriend will let you stay on the street for even a moment."

"Of course not!" declared Amidala. She had admirable look of resolve on her face.

Skywalker was deep in thought for few minutes. In that time he was like an open book. I could feel his emotions which were turmoil his heart. Regret that he could be pushed in such a corner. Anger at the unfairness of fate. He felt sorry about the possibility of being separated from his friends and apprentice.

He was confused when wondering: What would Kenobi think about him if he was thrown out? There was regret about how his actions might reflect on Ahsoka and he hoped that his apprentice would understand. But beyond all that was his love about Padme. It was blazing like a beacon.

I felt what was in the cauldron of his emotions and had an epiphany.

Some of those who had watched the ROTS in my original dimensions might have wondered why Anakin fell so easy. Many might have thought that his turning to the Dark side was because of his love of Padme. That his fall vindicated the Jedi and their Code – emotion was to blame. But now, when this young man had his very heart open for all to see, I can tell you that the very reason he would have fallen in that other future was rooted in the Council and their Dogma.

I knew his emotions. His feelings. Any loyalty Skywalker had towards the Jedi Order as an organization was a pale shadow of what he felt towards individual people. He would go to hell and back for Amidala, Kenobi, Ahsoka and Palpatine as well as his other Jedi friends. But if he had to choose between any of them and the Order? There was no contest.

The Jedi Masters never understood the heart of this man. They could not. Not while following their own creed. That's where the seeds of their destruction were sown. The Council made it a choice between his wife, unborn children and a man who had been his friend since Skywalker was a kid and the Jedi as a whole.

The young Jedi sitting in front of me could make only one decision in such circumstances. And the Order would always loose. Bloody fools.

I watched the turmoil in his heart subduing. Skywalker had calmed down himself. I could sense vines of hope sprouting within his heart. Anakin took a deep breath before grinning impishly at me.

"You know, I've never thought about it in such a light. I'd hate to be exiled or made to choose between my wi... ahem Padme and being a Jedi but..." he trailed off and gave a fond look to his spouse. "If it comes to that, it is the easiest decision that I've ever made."

Apparently that was the right thing to do because he was engulfed in a rib cracking embrace by the Senator. Amidala had thrown all thoughts about appropriate behavior and was busy sticking her tongue deep in Anakin's throat.

"Ewww! Old people eating each other's faces!" Jaybo made a chocking sounds.

"Ah. Young love. At least they still got all their clothes." I smirked.

I knew that once Amidala had at least few hours of uninterrupted sleep she would be back to her composed self. And probably much more vocal which would not be an improvement. After days with little to no sleep, stuck into a hazmat suit and watching Theed go to hell thanks to the virus, Padme was not acting exactly as one who had seen her in the halls of the Senate.

Eventually the Skywalkers had to come out for air. After the display, both of them were flushed more scarlet than Shaak Ti's skin.

"Anakin, am I to judge by that slip of the tongue that you two managed to get married already?"

"What? No, that's not what it sounds!"

"Definitely not!"

Their immediate reaction to my question was a lot of spluttering denials. I rolled my eyes and waited for them to calm down a bit.

"Just don't go complaining to me when Kenobi or worse Ahsoka come asking why they were not told earlier... Or invited." I grinned at the couple.

Skywalker winced at that. One of these days he'll have a very interesting conversation with his former master. And the little spitfire that was his apprentice.

He glared at me. His eyes darted to Jaybo and it was his turn to smirk.

"Well, at least I won't be the only one in trouble with the Council."

Amidala followed his eyes and frowned. I guess she was not too pleased to have disregarded the kid until now. I could positively feel her self-recrimination because she had not paid attention to her surroundings. The fact that she was way beyond exhausted would not be enough to make things better in her eyes.

"Should I be concerned?" asked Anakin. He was looking at Jaybo with a frown.

I knew what confused him. No trace of the Dark side upon the kid. That would be something that would throw a lot of Jedi for a spin in the foreseeable future. I was not going to teach Jaybo much about the darker aspects of the Force until he had the basics up to par and he knew much more about the source of our power and himself.

"About what?" I asked innocently.

"Another Sith trying to cut off pieces from me." Anakin deadpanned.

"Don't worry. If Jaybo cut something off you I am sure you'd deserve it." I smiled at him.

Amidala ignored us and grinned at the kid.

"Hi! We did not get introduced. I'm Padme..."

While the Senator started interrogating Jaybo in a way that made him think that it was his idea to tell the pretty lady everything about himself I tried to reassure the Jedi.

"I found him on Iego where I went for the key compound of the cure. It was obvious that he is Force sensitive and he wanted to be trained. I do not have to tell you what the Council would have decided about him. Too old to be trained. However, now that he is my apprentice they might make an exception and try to get him away from me."

Anakin glanced at the kid and nodded.

"I was nine when Qui-Gon brought me in front of the Council. That's what they told me. If it was not for Obi-Wan's insistence I would not have been trained either."

"And he is much older than you were." I nodded.

"I will reserve judgment until I see what you are teaching him." he took a deep breath. "You deserve the benefit of the doubt. I guess."

Skywalker being level-headed and using his brains. That was something that would take some getting used to.

A shiver went through the Force. It was the echo heralding that the thread of a possible future had unraveled. Whether that would be for the better or worse remained to be seen...

When Padme finished her chat with Jaybo Skywalker had to carry her to their quarters. She was too exhausted to walk there by herself. Anakin did not look too good himself. I had to remind myself that he was still recovering from injuries received during his last mission. I would not see them until we exited hyperspace. It did not take premonition to know how they kept themselves busy during the journey.

**=RK=**

I took Jaybo to the mess hall for a light lunch before leading him to a large training room which I had made for my use. It was time to start with his training in earnest.

I sat cross-legged on the training mat in the center of the compartment and waved him to follow suit.

"The Force. It is what gives us our powers. She is our greatest ally. And our most vicious enemy."

I stretched my right arm forward and showed my apprentice an open, empty palm.

"Watch." I ordered.

With a quiet crack, bluish lightning arched between my fingertips.

"Wow! That's so cool!"

I chuckled at him. Rule one of being a good teacher – make things interesting and keep the attention of your student.

"Concentrate. Until now you've used this power unconsciously. Feel the Force. It has always been there. Just beyond your grasp. Like a sound you could almost hear. Open your mind and embrace it."

Jaybo looked at the electricity dancing in the palm of my right hand with hooded eyes. I watched him for nearly an hour while was trying to reach for the Force. Then he gasped in wonder.

The currents of the Force around him changed their direction and flowed through him. I could feel him drawing it in him and smiled.

'That's it. Good work!' I spoke directly into his mind. 'This is the first step on a hard and wondrous path!'

He was startled by my words and the Force slipped from his grasp. Jaybo gave me a proud smile and gasped for air. I had forgotten how much it could take from you the first time you consciously touch the Force.

"Good. Now you must be able to do that without even thinking about it. And keep your connection with the Force open indefinitely..."

**=RK=**

**Senator Amidala's Office, Senate building, Coruscant**

Once the Requiem reached the capital I left Jaybo on board. There was no need to expose him to the Council right now. Dealing with that complication would be a distraction at a time when I was about to have an important hearing in front of the whole Senate. That was the reason I was with Amidala and Skywalker in her office. The Senator was checking her messages and arranging to speak with few of her allies before the hearing. We needed to know what the real agenda behind this session was.

After resting and being back to her normal self, Padme was not particularly thrilled with my actions towards Naboo but was ready to at least consider the possibility that I knew what I was talking about and was not just a blood-thirsty maniac – something that was a source of unending amusement for her husband.

"If it was not for this kriffing virus we would be resting right now!" grumbled Skywalker. "We'd be able to leave for some place where no one knows us. Where we could be just husband and wife with no strings attached! Instead we are stuck here being a Senator and a Jedi!"

"You know we can't Any." muttered Padme. "We have to deal with this and ensure that Naboo receives enough aid."

"I know!" grumbled Anakin.

"If the Senate wants a scapegoat we have Vindi in custody." I added my two cents. "Undoubtedly a big part of today's agenda will be assigning blame."

"Our work as senators is to serve the Republic. To protect those who could not defend themselves. It is natural that the Senate wants to know how the attack on Theed could happen."

"Those are laudable ideals. Too bad that outside the core words they do not mean much." I whispered to myself.

The door chimed and Bail Organa strode in.

"Senator Amidala." he saw me and Skywalker and nodded stiffly. "Generals. I am sorry to interrupt you but Mon Mothma called a meeting before the hearing. She want to speak with you Senator."

"Ah. Senator Organa. Of course. I'll meet you two in the senate chambers. Try to behave yourselves."

"I'll keep Anakin out of trouble." I smirked at the Jedi who gave me a dirty look.

Organa turned to leave and looked back at Padme.

"Are you coming, Senator?"

"But of course. I'll see you later. "

When they left, Anakin slumped in a nearby chair.

"I hate politics!" he grumbled.

"Unfortunately, that's what keeps the world spinning." I commiserated.

**=RK=**

**GAR Headquarters, Coruscant**

In the building housing the High Command of the Republic's army it was business as usual. Officers – both clones and naturals were striding in and out of the headquarters doing whatever was needed to keep the army running. From the high level strategic decisions directing the war to insuring that the logistics needed for a campaign spawning the whole galaxy were flowing freely.

In all this, the droids maintaining the building went on with their jobs mostly unseen beyond some routine scans. On that day the clones responsible for the security of the headquarters were working with faulty equipment though they did not know it. A captain responsible for the maintenance of the scanners had gotten a fat addition to his bank account and helped insure that six droids with some unusual equipment slipped in.

The machines went on to do the jobs they were programed for. Most of them did what good cleaning droids would do. That is until their internal clocks reached specific time. Then a built in circuits came to life for first and final time. A spark of electricity was sent into a mechanism buried into the torso of each machine. Then two things happened. The plating covering their chassis blew outwards in a rain of shrapnel which wounded the people unlucky to be around the droids at the time. Then two spheres housed in the chests of the droids exploded spreading thick blue gas.

One of the robots was working on fixing a faulty computer in the main junction where the ventilation of the building was passing through in order for the air to be filtered. Two minutes before the rest of its brethren self-immolated, that droid froze for few seconds while a hidden programming kicked in. It went to a nearby terminal and hacked into it. It would be two minutes and four seconds by the time the intrusion would be detected. Another minute before it could be stopped.

And that would prove to be an eternity too late. The droid temporally disabled the automatic shut out of the ventilation in case a biological agent was detected in the building. Then he placed the two bio bombs it was carrying in such places as to ensure maximum spread through the headquarters.

**=RK=**

**Freighter Sea of Tranquility, Coruscant Airspace**

Ferok Loren was captain of one of the countless trade ships delivering the supplies needed for the survival of a planet turned into one giant, spawning metropolis. On a first glance his craft was nothing to look at twice. The scans on which it had been subjected prior to entering the atmosphere showed nothing out of the ordinary – just a small compliment of crew and a holds full with droid parts. After that ordeal he had chuckled nervously. He was in! It was time for those kriffing Republic murderers to pay!

The Tranquility's cargo was in fact much more sinister than its manifest or any cursory scans could show. In Loren's opinion was great that on surface scan there was no much difference between parts for various robots and deactivated commando droids.

The freighter was one of three that managed to slip through the Republic's navy umbrella over the capital. Two headed for the GAR bases and the last towards the biggest space port nearest to the Senate.

Sea of Tranquility veered sharply off its course and headed straight to military base Pelor.

Its crew, who were hand-picked from people whose colonies in the Outer Ring had suffered from mistakes caused by the Republic's forces, disregarded the frantic calls of various controllers and multiple warning about entering restricted airspace. The freighter came in screaming low over the buildings surrounding the target, which it used to take cover from the surface to air weapon emplacements planted around the base. By the time fighters were scrambled and reached the descending transport it was too late for its mission to be stopped.

"Raise shields." calmly ordered Lorak. "Head towards that row of warehouses. Blow the underside of the holds the moment we are over the base."

The human male smiled contently. Soon he would join his family who were murdered by an "accidental" orbital strike. As if he was dumb enough to believe it. You do not wipe a peaceful village by mistake!

Shields too powerful for a mere freighter snapped to life and absorbed the few volleys the weapon emplacement had time to shoot before the ship was over the base. The defensive field held long enough, despite not having enough time to charge to full capacity. The underbelly of the craft was sundered by a series of well-placed charges which opened it spilling two hundred commando droids. But the machines raining all over the base were merely an afterthought. It was the four big spheres which detached from the freighter and blew up five hundred meters over the base. Their payload covered Pelor with blue mist.

The same scene was unfolded over the second military base near the Senate as well as at the nearest spaceport.

Ferok withdrew a small silver locket from under his shirt and opened it. He smiled contently at the holo-image of his murdered wife and little daughter. He was still looking at their faces when his ship's nose cleaved through the roof of the first warehouse chock full with military equipment.

The last act of the freighters attacking the bases was to crash land straight in the motor pools of the military installations.

At the space port, the transport which was attacking it was turned in a mostly burning wreck by the guns of an Acclamator which was preparing to launch. Its alert crew wasted no time and zeroed on the approaching intruder and unleashed all weapons that could bear on the freighter. However that was not sufficient to stop its deadly descent and it crashed in the command pylons of a defenseless Venator. The resulting explosion crippled the cruiser.

The airwaves over Coruscant were filled with calls of distress and pleas for back up by beleaguered Republic forces.

**=RK=**

**Senator Amidala's office, Senate building, Coruscant**

My first clue about the nightmare that was about to be unleashed was a tremor in the Force. It was a sense of premonition. I and Skywalker looked at each other. Something was about to happen. It was going to be bad. Very bad.

I turned my head towards the window. I could see five big vehicles – basically flying buses, break from their lanes and head straight towards the Senate. Considering that those were just the ones I could see, there probably were four or five time more.

I jumped from my stool and activated my comm. My intention was to warn the building's security and then call for back up from the nearest military base. I did not believe for a second that what was happened was something harmless like another anti-war protest.

My and Anakin's comm s came to life.

"This is General Valentra. Code Midnight. I repeat Code Midnight! GAR headquarters has been hit with bio weapon as well as bases Hercal and Pelor! This is not a drill! All GAR units on Corusss..."

The transmission was lost to the characteristic hissing produced by powerful jamming.

"Skywalker, get your wife and as many of the senators as you can out of the building. I'll try to meet with the senate guard and slow down those bastard."

**=RK=**

**Republic Cruiser Requiem, High orbit over Coruscant**

"All GAR units on Coruscant implement plant Winter."

For few precious seconds Commodore Pellaeon stood frozen by the unbelievable orders coming from GAR headquarters. The sheer audacity displayed by the CIS with attacking targets on Coruscant without dealing with the fleet first was stunning.

With sheer act of willpower, Pellaeon shook himself out of the stupor and started firing orders.

"Battle stations! Raise shields and power up weapons! I want all fighters launched yesterday! Assume that this is combined space and ground attack and the Seps kriffed the timing until we know better! Comm find out who is in charge of our forces in system! I want what little ground forces we have on board to be ready for deployment on the surface ASAP!"

The Commodore turned to Piett who was still struggling with the sheer impossibility of the situation.

"Ensign do whatever you can to contact the General! Move it people!"

**=RK=**

**Senator Amidala's Office, Senate building, Coruscant**

We just exited Padme's office when the lamps cut off only to be replaced by subdued red emergency lights. The floor shook lightly when a flying bus struck the building. Then again and again. I counted at least six impacts nearby.

Skywalker darted along the right corridor undoubtedly tracking Amidala's force signature. I ran to the left. Before I reached the corner I could hear the subdued sounds of battle. At least for now there were guards who were still alive and fighting.

I rant towards the sounds of gunfire and a minute later reached a corridor where one of the doors along the left wall was blown out. A bunch of commando droids were exchanging fire with a dwindling group of men in distinctive blue armor.

I vaulted forward and jumped at the backs of the CIS Special Forces. Their first clue that I was amongst their ranks was my lightsaber vertically bisecting a black colored droid. A reverse strike sliced in two a machine to my right while I sent two others at the wall on my left with a telekinetic push. Before that pair could recover I picked them up and threw them at their brethren.

My intervention raised the morale of the Senate guards who intensified their fire. Caught from the both sides of the corridor and with no place to take cover or escape, the only thing the droids could do was to perish. And die they did. Hard.

By the time the last commando was scrap metal only two of the blue armored men remained combat effective.

"Thank you, sir. If it wasn't for you we'd be goners." said an old, gruff NCO who was the senior of the surviving guards

"You are welcome. The comms are jammed. Any idea what is the best way to call in the cavalry?"

"If you go to the computer control room or one of the antennae arrays near the rooftop you should be able to boost your signal."

"Thanks, sergeant."

I helped them move their wounded to a nearby guard room which had basic medical facilities as well as a lot of guns. Considering that I was about to speak in front of the senate the only weapons I had on me were my lightsaber and dart launcher. I used the opportunity to take a pair of blaster pistols and few thermal detonators. You could never know when you'd need the firepower.

**=RK=**

Anakin made his way to a parapet overlooking a large room where seventy or eighty senators and their aides were herded in. The men and women were surrounded by twenty odd droids and few mercenaries.

Skywalker hissed angrily. A tall man wearing dark brown duster and a large hat which hid his face from the position where the Jedi was, had Padme caught by the chin. He was both proud of her bravery and pissed off because she was endangering herself. She was telling the terrorist that the senate would not negotiate as such as him which caused him to chuckle. Anakin could sense that the man was amused and had no care in the world. He was either insane or knew something that neither Skywalker nor the senators knew.

Padme somehow saw Anakin and their eyes met. The man holding her noticed it and spun around. His weapon moved in a blur and unleashed a hail of laser bolts at Skywalker's cover. The Jedi rolled away from the opening and ran down the corridor.

"It's Skywalker! Get him!" shouted the terrorist.

As he ran, Anakin made another futile effort to raise someone on his comm.

"This is useless!" he grumbled and turned around a corner only to find himself face to face with a pirate armed with a pistol and a droid carrying a long barreled blaster.

Before either of them could shoot him, Skywalker had his lightsaber in his hands and had it ignited. He deflected their first shots at the walls and then the man fell slowly to the ground with most of his brain and the back of his head missing. The droid was made by a sterner stuff because few deflected shots did little to slow it down. That prompted Anakin to advance towards the machine. With an economic slash he cut the barrel of the droids gun and with the back stroke took off its hands. The machine's distressed whine was cut off by a blue laser blade applied to its head.

**=RK=**

**Chancellor's Office, Senate Building, Coruscant**

"Sorry for disturbing you, Chancellor." said a holographic figure which was projected in the center of Palpatine's cabinet. Judging by the smugness in his voice the man did not regret it at all. "I already have control of the eastern part of your building and fifty odd senators. I will soon have most of the Senate in my grip. If you care about your senators I advise you to release Count Dooku and General Grievous."

Palpatine frowned.

"You know that the Republic does not bow down to terrorists. No deals."

"What just happened to two of your nearby bases should be an object lesson about my abilities. If my demands are not met I will release Blue Shadow not only in the senate but across Coruscant."

Palpatine stood still at hearing that. Getting the virus released around the planet was not part of his plans! He narrowed his eyes dangerously at the mercenary.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**AN: This chapter was betaed by Dymian on FF net. Thank you for the splendid work!  
**

**Phase 08: Crisis**

**=RK=**

**Part 1**

**Senate building, Coruscant**

My hopes to find more alive Senate guards were dashed when I reached the main guard station for the Eastern part of the building. Its door was blow out and over its twister remain laid the body of a man clad in scorched blue armor. I did not need to be clairvoyant to figure out what had happened to most of the guards. The stench and smoke coming from the room were more than enough.

When I glanced inside I could see pieces of men and armor splattered all over the walls and ceiling. Most of it burned beyond recognition. It looked like a thermal detonator had blown up in the midst of about twenty to thirty people. It was not a pretty sight. The smell was even worse.

So much for that plan. It was time for improvisation. And calling in a couple of thousands clones to clean up the mess. If I was lucky and Palpatine was sealed in the Senate, that would give me few interesting options. But I had a decision to make first – getting out of the Senate and calling in the cavalry will give me free reign to deal with the situation. With the GAR headquarters and the nearby bases hit I was one of the highest ranking officers on Coruscant who could clean up take command of the situation. On the other hand once I left, getting back in could prove problematic. That is if I cared about the welfare of the hostages. However the only value most of them had was as obstacles to Palpy getting even more power.

Decisions, decisions...

**=RK=**

Skywalker found himself near the rooms where the mainframe of the senate was locate. The door leading to the computer complex slid open and a short, bluish alien sauntered out. The being gave one glance at the Jedi, screeched and darted back inside.

Anakin ran towards the door and hit the button to open it with his fists. It beeped angrily but the entrance remained barred. He shrugged and activated his lightsaber. Whatever that fella was doing there was not good. He was about to slice open the door when he heard someone approaching.

The Jedi turner around and groaned. Twelve commando droids had sneaked up to him and two of the mercenaries were approaching from the far ends of the corridor. One was a Weequay male armed with a pistol and the other a woman who looked human. She had a sniper rifle levered at him.

"Damn!" grumbled Anakin.

As if his words were a signal the droids opened fire. He had trouble holding his ground under the onslaught. Skywalker deflected most of the blaster bolts and barely moved from the way of the others. The fact that the commandos were made from better materials than your run of the mill clankers did not help him. In order to disable one of the robots he had to deflect two or three blaster shots in the same area of the damn machines.

Anakin knew that he could not stay at his present position for long. It would take only a single lucky hit or another group of droids showing and he'll be in real trouble.

The Jedi concentrated and blasted the commandos with a telekinetic wave which threw them off their feet. Only the Weequay and the sniper, who were staying back remained standing. Skywalker deflected few shots at the man who few backwards when they connected with his body. Before Anakin could dart in the opening he had created the door behind him slid open and he felt imminent danger. The Jedi tried to move away but was stopped by few well-placed sniper shots which he was forced to deflect.

Before he could react the small being had jumped on his back and struck him in the neck with something. Skywalker's world exploded with agony. The last thing he saw before darkness claimed him was a yellow glow.

**=RK=**

Palpatine glared at the image of the smug bounty hunter suspended over his desk. He was in a bind. He could feel a bunch of droids trying to cut their way in his outer offices. While the fact that most of the senators were hostages was something he could use, Sidious could not permit himself to be caught. That could easily force him in a situation where he must show his powers. Something he was not ready to reveal. The easiest way to avoid that would be for him to 'cave' under the demands of that arrogant bastard.

The downside of such an action was that he'll miss a golden opportunity to dispose of some of his most vocal opponent. Well, he could always spin it in a way as him doing his best to placate the terrorists because of the bio weapon and pretend that he was waiting for the GAR to deal with the issue.

Sidious frowned. He despised when one of his plans went awry. And in such a spectacular manner!

"Senator Taff will carry the necessary papers to the prison where Grievous is held. I am afraid that the Jedi will be most reluctant to release Dooku."

"Leave them to me." sneered Bane. "Just sent your friend to take the general."

**=RK=**

These days I was supposed to be a general not a common grunt so I decided to act like it. I cut my way through the door of one of the thousands offices spread around the building and made my way through the devoid of life rooms. The thick window which stood in my way of getting shattered when I sliced through it. I frowned at that. I always thought that what happened during the battle between Sidious and Windu in episode 3 was either done for a dramatic effect. You'd think that the windows in the senate building would be made from a sterner stuff... Another point for the lowest bidder I guess. Some things apparently were the same no matter in which universe you were.

I slid down the curved surface of the building and in the last moment jumped off it. After few seconds of free fall I landed on the hull of a freighter that was parked on one of the docking slips of the Senate. That gave me a nice view of a droid manhandling a big blue alien man into a speeder. The man was wearing an expensive looking robes. A senator I think. I frowned. There were a lot of things wrong with that picture.

I hurried down from my vantage point and jumped into a red, two seat air car. I sent a bolt of lightning at its on board computer and used my powers to force start its engine. Then I sped after the robot and the man it was holding hostage while checking my com every few seconds.

Few minutes later I flew out of the jamming field and grinned. It was show time.

"This is General Veil. Commodore Pellaeon report!" I spoke into my com.

**=RK=**

**Republic Cruiser Requiem, High orbit over Coruscant**

The bridge crew released a collective sigh of relief when they heard the general's voice. None more than Gilad who was getting sick from dealing with Rear Admiral Borav Quid – the man who had taken command of the Navy units over the capital after the start of the emergency. How the fool had reached such a rank, the commodore would never know. The man had refused to allow any troops from the fleet to be sent to the planet, which meant that with the virtual neutralization of the bases near the senate (both installations were hugged under their theater shields in an attempt to stem the spread of the bio weapon) the nearest ground ponders that could arrive at the scene of the attacks in force were hours away.

But the Rear Admiral was afraid to do anything without orders from the HQ. The same High Command that was sealed after a bio attack and under heavy jamming preventing communications. So when the General had contacted them, Pellaeon was glad. Technically Veil outranked that toad Quid. The question was if the admiral would and most importantly his subordinates would agree.

The Commodore hurried to give sit rep to his commander, for all it was worth considering how little hard information they got.

"Kriffing bastards!" cursed Veil. "Those attacks were only distractions. There was an attack on the senate. Most of the building is under enemy control. I can confirm that there are dozens and perhaps hundreds commando droids crawling all over the building. Assume that the Chancellor and all senators in there are either dead or under duress. Who is in charge of this clusterfuck?"

"Rear Admiral Quid." deadpanned Pellaeon. "And as far as we can determine there is no one in command down there. The comms are either jammed or down due to quarantine procedures."

"By the Force! That at least explains the lack of reaction from GAR units. Listen, Commodore. I am taking command of the situation on the ground. I want you to launch all ground forces you have on board. I want two LAAT's to vector on my signal and sent the others to establish a perimeter around the senate building. And contact Quid. I want ground forces deployed to contain the situation within the hour. If the idiot gives you any problems patch him to me."

"Gladly, sir."

**=RK=**

**Secret prison, Coruscant**

I could see the senator and his captor preparing to land on a platform where at least a dozen armed clones were waiting for them. So Palpy had decided to play fast and get his pawns out of custody while he still could. I snorted with amusement. Whoever was held at this facility was not going anywhere.

I sped up and pointed the air car I had borrowed at the ride which the robot and its captive had used. That had the additional benefit of giving me a nice view of what was happening on the platform. A door in its far end opened and four clones came out. They were escorting a sled filled with clear liquid in which the crippled body of Grievous was floating. I was glad that the RI (republic intelligence) folks were not dumb enough to rebuild that menace. Not that it would have helped the tin can, given the circumstances.

I vaulted out of the car moments before it smashed into the vehicle which my targets used to came here. The sheer kinetic strike send both craft spinning under the platform where they smashed in the side of the building and exploded.

While I was still in the air I drew my lightsaber and delivered a diagonal slash. I landed lightly on the platform and smiled at the clones who had their blasters trailed on me. I deactivated my weapon and glanced at the droid in front of me. It tried to turn its head towards me but that little motion was enough to make it understand that it was finished. The upper part of its torso slid to the ground with metallic clatter.

"Stand down men." I ordered. My words were given more weight by the two LAAT's which dropped from the sky and floated over the platform. Their side doors opened and they disgorged 71st platoon.

I walked between the two lines of clones who had snapped to attention after a hissed command from their officer. I stopped in front of the container in which Grievous was floating and beamed when I saw that he was awake and was glaring at me.

"No, my tin friend. You are not leaving so easy. It would be a most impolite thing to do." I turned to the clone officer. "Commander get that thing back to his cell and lock down this facility. There is still a possibility of Separatist attack."

"Understood General! I'll see to it at once, sir!"

I went to the senator and all traces of humor disappeared from my face.

"And take this fellow into custody. He was either under duress or he is a kriffing traitor. When we deal with this mess we'll have to figure out which."

I left the spluttering senator for the clones to handle and headed to the nearest LAAT. I waited for my men to board when my com hissed to life.

"This is commander Rex! The Jedi Temple is under attack! We need reinforcements!"

I shook my head. So much for cannon events. Perhaps it was a good thing that I remembered very few things about the Clone Wars era, so I won't be lulled in a false sense of security by future knowledge I might take for granted. I was sure that there was no attack on the Temple in this period until Order 66 was called and if that was the case it would not be a clone calling in for reinforcements to help the Jedi.

I glanced in the direction of the Senate and then to where I thought the Temple lied. With which mess should I deal first? I wondered before jumping in the LAAT.

**=RK=**

**Part 2 **

**Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

Padawan Ahsoka Tano was cooling her heels in her small room in the temple. Apparently the time she had spent in the presence of Delkatar was deemed a "bad" thing and she was put under intense scrutiny. She was in what amounted to a house arrest as a result. But that was not the worst – many of the older Jedi and even a significant number of her friends were giving her wary glances when they thought she was not looking at them! That was... It was frustrating! What did she do wrong?! It's not like she had become a murdering Sith like Dooku or that skank Ventress! But did the other Jedi see it that way?

"It's not fair!" she grumbled quietly.

She jumped from the small bed on which she was sitting cross-legged in a futile attempt to meditate. She simply could not clear her mind and concentrate. It was supposed to be "simple"! Just stuff all your emotions in a tiny mental box, lock it up and throw away the key. And the box while you were at it. Well, it did not work!

Tano started pacing around her room. She was exhausted by the unspoken accusations! Even since Anakin had run away to Naboo where the damn clankers had released a bio-weapon of all things she was left alone in the temple.

Her ordeal had started innocently enough – a strange look here, a whispered word there. Then she was summoned in front of the Council where they interrogated her in excruciating detail about every second she had spent near Delkatar. When she had refuted their thinly veiled claims that he was trying to turn her into a Sith Ahsoka could sense that most of the masters did not believe her. Interestingly enough, with the notable exception of Master Windu none of those who were vying for Delkatar's blood had even spoken to the man! By what she could gather from their questions they had no evidence that he had done anything wrong. In the past three thousand and six hundred odd years at least.

What she had "overheard" from his conversation with Master Ti did not really count, right? Ahsoka would be the first to claim that torturing those ancient Jedi was anything but acceptable, however if anyone had something approaching a just reason for such action it surely was Veil!

She shook her head ruefully. Won't this madness end at last?

Her brooding was interrupted by the chiming of the doorbell. Ahsoka looked at the entrance to her humble home and smiled. She could sense Rex outside!

The Padawan hurried to open the door and grinned at the clone who was wearing his armor sans helmet. The man was looking at her with amused expression on his face.

"Commander Tano, I am bringing you 'requests' from Generals Skywalker and Veil to attend the Senate hearing which will be held this afternoon. I am here to escort you to the visitor's chambers of the senate." he declared in a calm, professional tone.

At hearing that her face was stretched by a huge grin. She summoned her lightsaber which was resting on a table near her bed and eagerly nodded at the clone.

"By all means, commander! Lead the way!"

Rex gave her a very proper salute, spun on the soles of his feet and marched down the corridor as if he was on parade.

Ahsoka followed suit. She carefully wiped the grin from her face and did the best she could to give herself an outwards appearance of serenity. She wondered what stunt, Delkatar was trying to pull off this time.

Minute later both of them heard a frantic call from a republic general on Rex's com. They looked at each other and ran down the corridor.

They reached the huge hall leading to the main entrance of the temple and Tano heard the roar of forced engines. She looked at the huge, half-closed doors and saw three shuttles heading straight towards the opening.

She stared in the approaching ships with disbelief. The few Padawan and Jedi knights in the huge hall mirrored her reaction. This was the Jedi Temple! No one dared attack it ever since the Sack of Coruscant!

Ahsoka was still staring at the onrushing doom when Rex turned around, grabbed her across the waist and picked her up as if she was a little girl. The trooper ran to the closest row of columns lining the hall and used one of them as a cover. He was just in time because a missile flew through the opened doors and slammed in the ground nearby. The blast wave threw them off their feet under a rain of smoking pieces of marble.

The commander acted on instinct and grabbed Ahsoka again. He dragged her away to another column.

The entry hall shook when the first shuttle battered its way through the gates. Its wings were sheared off but its main body remained intact and it crash landed on the floor. The craft was deadly wounded – it would never fly again on its own but it did its intended purpose. Its passenger survived the crash and the moment the shuttle stopped scrapping along the ground ramps on its sides opened. Its two companions used the whole it battered to fly in mostly intact. They slammed into the ground further along the long hall.

A dazzled Ahsoka could see a young Padawan – no more than twelve trying to running towards an older Jedi who was laying bleeding on the floor near the first craft. The human girl looked up at the shuttle and gasped. Her hands scrambled to grab her lightsaber and yellow blade came to life. She managed to deflect the first six blaster bolts which splashed harmlessly on the armored bulk of the shuttle before a shot slipped through her defense and pierced her right shoulder. She shouted in pain and her arm dropped uselessly. The young girl had a moment of horrified realization before she was torn apart by a hail of blaster fire.

Rex scrambled to his feet and activated the comm built in his left arm-guard. He asked for help but did not hold much hope for reinforcements arriving any time soon. With the bases around the Senate attacked it was clear where the bulk of the Republic forces on the planet would be heading.

He glared at a commando droid which jumped from the first shuttle to crash into the temple. The machine raised its weapon and shot the bleeding Jedi multiple time. The commander drew his pistols and took aim but held his fire. More clankers were exiting the wrecked shuttle. Amongst the machines were two figures wearing black cloaks. One male and the other female judging by the curves of their armors. Those two activated blood red lightsabers and looked up. Six masked Jedi wearing light brown robes and light armor underneath jumped in front of the droids and their leaders. Each of the Order members had a saber staff which when activated revealed short yellow blades.

As if that was their cue, eleven more droids exited the shuttle. They had gray cloaks slung over their right shoulders and force staffs in their arms. The ends of their weapons sparkled wickedly with purple energy.

Beside Rex, Ahsoka shook off the after effects of the explosion that stunned her and jumped on her feet. She activated her lightsaber and moved to join the Temple Guards but the commander grabbed her left hand and shook his head. He pointed at the other two shuttles which had disgorged much more droids and another five men and women brandishing crimson lightsabers.

**=RK=**

**Jedi Temple holding cells, Coruscant**

Count Dooku allowed himself a small smile when he heard the subdued sounds of explosions. He knew that his master and the CIS won't leave him to rot in the Jedi's clutches. Despite the ancient shackles dampening his power, the former Jedi retained connection to the Force that was strong enough for him to sense what was happening beyond the door of his cell. The surprise of the two Temple Guards who were lounging behind the armored door was a profound source of amusement for him. The taste of their stunned disbelief was like a sip of well-seasoned wine.

"It's about time." he muttered when his sensitive hearing detected the approaching "whoosh" of rocked engines.

That was followed by the "snap-hiss" of activating lightsabers and rapid blaster fire. Dooku's cell shook and the one armed man had to struggle to remain sitting on the hard bed. He shook his head in an attempt to banish the ringing in his ears caused by the five explosions which rumbled along the corridor where his cell was located.

The Sith could sense the death of one of his prison guards and the agony wracking the other one. That was ended a moment later and he could feel a familiar presence on the other side of the door. So his Acolytes came to his aid.

A minute was spent in silence while the armored door glowed orange and started melting. It was time to leave the Jedi's dubious hospitality.

**=RK=**

On the other side of the Temple and few hundred meters down was another cell where Asajj Ventress was stuck. Needless to say the young woman was bored out of her mind. The "interrogation" attempts of the Jedi were bloody useless but at least they were her one source of entertainment. But for more than a week she was left alone with no contact if you discount the opening of a small slit in the door barring her way out from where her meals were delivered. She had to admit that boredom was a better method to force her into revealing information than the sessions she had with the Jedi. Their pathetic attempts to bring her to the light were laughable. Cast off the Dark side? And for what? To become an emotionless drone?

She scoffed at the very thought.

Ventress was in the middle of her daily training regimen – the only thing with which she could fill up her time while stuck in that bland cell when she felt the floor shaking lightly. It was not an earthquake. Not on Coruscant. She grinned like a hungry predator who had just smelled freshly spilled blood.

Suddenly Ventress found herself on the floor when the corridor outside was engulfed by the edge of a massive explosion. She groaned and spit a mouthful of blood. Asajj had managed to bit the inside of her cheek when she fell. She coughed from the dust that was filling her room and blinked at the door. Something was hissing and burning the armor.

Her boredom was at its end.

**=RK=**

**LAAT Gunship, near a Secret Republic prison, Coruscant**

My mind was made up when I felt sudden shock and pain from a weak connection through the Force I did not knew had formed. I could sense the distant presence of Ahsoka from the direction of the Jedi Temple. She was hurt and in danger. Bloody hell! That was a complication that I did not need! Besides I already got an apprentice and she was a bit too young for my tastes to consider her as anything else... besides a friend.

That thought froze me. Its been a long time since Vael had someone who he trusted enough to give such a title. And no matter how much I might have wanted to deny it, I had merged with the echo of the man. His memories, his past, they were mine too. They felt, they were as real to me as my own. I winced. If anyone ever tries to tell you that the Force comes without a lot of strings attached, they are shameless liars.

I called to the pilots.

"Head towards the Jedi Temple." I turned my attention to the clones who were in the troop compartment with me. "Prepare for battle. I doubt that whoever attacked the Temple has come with something less than what they deem sufficient numbers to at least hold off a lot of Jedi for some time."

What left unsaid was that if that was anything more than a raid the enemy would most likely have enough troops deployed there to make our contribution irrelevant. But I deemed such an outcome unlikely. The fact that whoever was orchestrating these attacks had tried to have Grievous released meant that the most likely target was the rescue of Dooku and perhaps Ventress.

I activated my com and called for any forces which were not busy cordoning the senate to head towards the Temple. Don't get me wrong, a bunch of Jedi getting themselves a real taste of war and getting killed in the process was not something awful in my books. But I had an image to create and uphold. When the time to face off with the Jedi Council came I wanted to have the moral high ground amongst other things. Me coming to their rescue would be remembered by the Jedi who were not to far gone thanks to the Order's indoctrination. Besides I did like the kid. It would be a damn waste if Ahsoka got herself killed.

**=RK=**

**Part 3**

**Great Hall, Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

Rex was trying to pull back Ahsoka who was grimly standing her ground. That delay let them have a front row view of the fate of the six guards.

The commando droids ignored the Jedi and moved away leaving them to their melee armed comrades and the pair of organics with lightsabers of their own. First to attack were the eleven Magna guards who charged the Jedi with their staffs spinning in tight circles around their bodies. They were closely followed by the two Force wielders who reeked of the Dark side. That skirmish was short and vicious.

For the first few seconds the six men held their ground by working as a team. The wave of droids literally bounced from a wall of lightsabers leaving one of their numbers on the ground in a smoking heap. Yet that was only a probing attack. What followed was an all-out charge which was about to overwhelm the Jedi. The two guards in the center of their line used the Force to push away six of their foes. That however bought them just a moment. The droids flied back only couple of meters before being stopped in midair and hurled back at the Jedi. The two Dark Acolytes had waited for something similar to happen before engaging in combat.

This surprised the Jedi who were caught off position in an attempt to overwhelm the remaining robots. That's when the droids slammed into them, force staffs first. One unfortunate man landed on the ground hard with three of the machines on top of him. Before he could recover, one of the robots grabbed his head in its metal fingers and twisted. The Jedi's corpse convulsed once and laid still.

Another was a bit luckier if such a term could be used for a Force user. He managed to interpose his weapon between himself and the two droids which hit him. He hissed in pain when the sparkling tip of a force staff connected with his left thigh however that was a small price to pay. The droid that hit him on the right side ran head first into his blazing blade. That was one clanker that wouldn't bother anyone again.

The second one tried to use its machine strength to overpower the Jedi but ended being thrown in the air and met a whirling of yellow blades when it fell.

The last of those three Jedi managed to slice through the waist the droid that collided with him but not before his face was struck by a staff. His mask shattered revealing a middle aged human man who was knocked unconscious.

The other three Temple guards were not that lucky. The man on the left lank of their original line found himself facing four Magna guards who fell on him like berserk uncaring for their own safety. He exchanged a flurry of blows with them while failing back from their unrelenting assault.

Two of the droid attacked him simultaneously from the both sides. He managed to interpose the blades of his saber-staff between their weapons but that pinned him down for a moment. A third of the elite robots landed a crushing blow in the middle of his weapon shattering both it emitters and the Jedi's right hand. The man's pained scream was cut short by multiple bone-breaking blows from the other three droids.

On the right flank, the other two Jedi had it much easier. For about five seconds. In that time they were facing a single droid each. The Temple Guards knew that only seconds remained before additional enemies engaged them so they went on the offensive. That caught the droids by surprise and they were forced back under an unrelenting assault. One of the Magna Guards was not fast enough to reposition his staff to parry a diagonal slash and his staff was sliced in two. That was followed with a short upward cut which melted through the lower torso of the machine. While not immediately disabling, the damage slowed it down considerably and the Jedi took the opportunity to cut it to pieces with few precise attacks. His partner was still busy with the other droid when the two Acolytes choose to attack.

They darted from both sides of the robot and struck simultaneously. The Temple Guard managed to throw away the droid with a Force push and met the attack from the right with one of his blades but was not fast enough to intercept the slash from the woman on his left side. He grunted when her crimson saber cut a fiery line through his chest. His legs refused to support his weight and he fell to his knees. He saw a flash of red and the world rolled madly. The Jedi blinked in confusion at a kneeling headless body before his eyes closed for one last time.

Meanwhile Ahsoka was slowly stepping back under the onslaught of multiple commando droids who were shooting rapidly at her. Behind her Rex was returning the favor with his two pistols.

They watched helplessly how the Temple Guards were taken out one after another. It was worse for the Padawan who could feel them dying through the Force.

And they were not alone. Of the thirty odd Padawan and knights in the hall prior to the beginning of the assault only eight were still alive.

The Magna Guards concentrated on the Jedi that had taken out two of their numbers while the Acolytes attacked the last of the Temple Guards. Both battles were over within the seconds. The man facing the droids was simply buried under an avalanche of swinging Force staffs.

The Jedi attacked by his dark counterpart fared a bit better. He was retreating under a rain of slashes and jabs expertly delivered by his opponents until the woman used the Force to pull him towards her. He tried to counter her technique but to his horror found out that he was simply not strong enough.

She sidestepped a desperate attempt by the Jedi to impale her and surged forward. She cut off the left hand of the man at the elbow and sent his staff flying away. In the next moment her fellow Acolyte finished the Jedi by plunging his scarlet blade in his chest.

**=RK=**

**Council Chambers, Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

Both Yoda and Windu, the only two Jedi Masters currently on the planet had made their way to the Council Chambers when they felt a strong disturbance in the Force. Unfortunately their sight of the future was even worse than usual so they did not know what to expect besides being aware that it would be bad. For all their experience and supposed wisdom, or perhaps because of it, neither of them could have imagine what was happening. They stared at a holo-image from a security camera showing the Great Hall. What prompted them to check what was happening there? Was the barely heard sound of explosions and even worse the Jedi deaths they felt?

"Dark day this is." muttered Yoda.

He had a sad frown on his face and his ears had drooped in a sign of regret.

"Distraction this is." he said.

Windu nodded. They both sensed Jedi dying from both east and west sides of the Temple – far from the site of the main attack. But where their Sith prisoners were held.

"I'll go after Dooku. Undoubtedly he is their real target."

"That you must. Greet our uninvited guests I should."

Before they left towards their targets they called the young-lings caretakers and ordered them to take the children deeper in the Temple where they should be reasonably secure as well as ordered additional guards sent to protect them as well as the Archives. All other combat ready Jedi were ordered to converge upon the Great Hall.

The Jedi Masters ran in different directions. One who did not know better would be surprised at how fast Yoda moved – by jumping from the floor and walls more often than not.

**=RK=**

**Great Hall, Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

If it was not for the Jedi Knights and Padawan joining the battle in constantly increasing numbers, Ahsoka doubted that she or Rex would have lasted much longer. The clone commander was taking cover behind a column and she was holding her ground in front of him, facing a semicircle of commando droids who were trying to shot them to pieces with mechanical precision.

"Hey! 'Soka!" exclaimed a voice which was all too cheerful considering the circumstances.

A short Mirialan woman sprinted from a side passage and joined Tano in deflecting the storm of blaster bolts. Her midnight blue robes were a stark contrast with the lighter colors that most Jedi preferred to wear.

"You know me, Barriss! It appears that trouble finds me no matter where I am." Ahsoka chuckled despite their situation.

Which had become grimmer. The two Dark Acolytes noticed them and headed their way. The only silver lining was that the commandos decided to go search for other prey but the remaining Magna Guards from the first shuttle moved their way.

"This is going to be unpleasant."

"You think?" asked a new, male voice.

The Padawan glanced behind and grinned at the young Mon Calamari male who had joined them. Nahdar Vebb gave the girls a rueful smile and activated his blue lightsaber. The new Jedi Knight – he had been promoted mere weeks ago did looked with disapproval with the six droids marching towards them and their dark masters. The sheer audacity of those CIS people... frustrated him. They had the sheer gal to attack the Jedi Temple itself!

The Jedi Knight strode forward and took position between the Padawan.

**=RK=**

**Part 4**

**Holding cells, Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

The melted remains of the armored door barring Dooku's cell were hauled out with the Force and the aging Sith saw a brown skinned Zabrak woman on the other side. She gave him once over and looked him in the eyes critically.

"Kadrian. It's nice to see you again."

The woman bowed to her master and walked towards him. He waved with the stump of his left arm at the metal belt to which his remaining hand was chained and his part-time bodyguard cut through his bindings with her blade.

Dooku stood up and stretched. Once the artifact binding his powers was sliced open he could again bathe in the full presence of the Force. Suddenly he looked a decade younger.

Kadrian retrieved a curved lightsaber from her belt and respectfully presented it to his master who gave her an approving nod and retrieved the weapon. It was one of his spare sabers which he kept in his various strongholds.

"We need to leave, master. Unfortunately we do not have the forces at hand to deal with the Jedi today."

"Indeed. We'll have our vengeance another day."

They hurried away escorted by four bounty hunters wearing mandalorian style armors and two squads of commando droids. However when they exited the prison wing the Separatists ran headlong into a single man.

The vanguard which consisted by six droids opened fire. Their shots were intercepted by purple lightsaber blade which reflected them back at them. The man threw his cloak at a pair of the commandos obscuring their vision for a moment. He moved much faster than a human should be able to and cut off the heads of two machines with single sweeping strike. The Jedi used telekinesis to hurl another pair at nearby wall from which they bounced with godawful clatter.

In the next moment he was upon the last two droids which were still trying to shoot him. He deflected a blaster bolt at the weapon of the one that was further away and slashed through the chest of the closer robot. He pulled the second one to him and impaled it on his saber. The Jedi discarded the destroyed droid and turned to the Sith and his Acolyte.

"Count Dooku." the black man hissed the Sith's name. "You won't escape."

"Is that so, Master Windu? Your anger is plain for all to see. That's not the Jedi way, is it?" taunted Dooku.

The Count and Say activated their crimson blades and charged the Jedi Master.

**=RK=**

**East Ball Room, Senate Building, Coruscant**

Anakin came back to the land of the living feeling cramps all over his body. He blinked owlishly trying to figure out where he was. On the bright side he found out that his head was in Padme's lap. That was the only good news. He looked around and saw a bunch of Senators with few aides. They were all gathered in the center of a large, round room. Around them he could see a cage made of visible laser beams which emanated from charges placed on the walls around them.

"What did I miss?" he quipped at his wife who looked at him with relief in her eyes.

"That your Chancellor does not value your lives." Bane deadpanned.

The bounty hunter had tried to contact the droid he sent to retrieve Grievous but for the last few minutes that was unsuccessful. He drew one of his blaster pistols and shot couple of senators in the head. The rest of the politicians huddled together like a herd of scared cattle. All but that pretty senator from Naboo who was tending to Skywalker. Bane smirked and aimed his gun between the woman's eyes.

The Jedi jumped on his feet and shielded her with his body. Bane's hand twitched and he pressed the trigger.

"Anakin!" shouted Padme.

**=RK=**

**LAAT en route to the Jedi Temple/ Great Hall, Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

We were minutes away from the battle and I was treated with something I dreaded. It was a surreal experience – like being in two places at the same time. On one hand I was in the hold of the gunship and was looking outside at the space-scrapers flashing by us. Yet, through my connection with Ahsoka, I perceived what was happening in the Temple. It was like the nightmarish memories of Veil on Shili. I could only helplessly watch what was happening.

In the Great Hall Rex opened fire on the advancing Magna Guards as the Jedi charged them. He was able to hit few times the rightmost droid in the head but that only slowed it down.

The Mon Calamari Jedi twirled his saber in his hands and struck it in the ground. A wave of telekinetic energy flew from his blade and moved under the droids then exploded upwards. The Magna Guards were thrown straight in the air.

Ahsoka and Barriss jumped at the momentarily helpless droids but were intercepted by the two Acolytes. Nahdar let the Padawan to face the Dark Jedi for the time being and he jumped at the closest airborne robot. He sliced the machine in two and before landing threw his lightsaber at another.

Rex used this opportunity to unload shot after shot at the momentarily disabled Magna Guards and managed to take out one of the droids.

The machines crashed on the ground and before they could recover, Vebb and Rex were upon them. Concentrated blaster fire destroyed another droid leaving the last two to face the male Jedi. They were behind the rest of the combatants so the clone commander did not have a good shot at them.

Barriss was holding her own against the male Acolyte but Ahsoka was not so fortunate. The woman she was facing was something else. There was no sight of the furious attacks which the Padawan had expected thanks to her encounters with Ventress. Instead she was facing cold and calculated precision. Every movement the female she was fighting with made was measured and economic. The only reason why Tano was not falling back in front of the woman was because the Dark Jedi was not advancing but content to probe Asoka's defenses and take her measure.

The woman was using a Makashi form which she had modified to suit her own mindset.

On the other side of the hall the tide of battle suddenly turned. The advance of the droids and their few Dark Jedi leaders was stopped cold when a small, green figure jumped from one of the upper floors.

Yoda landed on the ground and his lightsaber flew from his belt to his outstretched right hand. He frowned at the carnage that littered his Temple. His ears drooped in regret. He had failed his people. For a second time the Sith had waltzed in the Jedi Temple without a care in the world.

To his left a young Padawan was fighting in a desperate attempt to shield his fallen master but was hard pressed to survive against two droids using force staffs. For a brief second anger flashed through the ancient eyes of the Jedi's Grandmaster before being beaten back and locked away. The two Magna Guards crumbled to the floor smashed to pieces. It was like a careless giant stepped on and flattened the machines.

Yoda gave a small nod to the Twi'lek Padawan and jumped in the fray. He was an emerald blur which moved from droid to droid, leaving machines destroyed by precise strikes behind. The frantic efforts of the commandos to shoot him down had no effect. They either missed the small ball of mayhem or their shots were expertly directed back to the sender. Only the Magna Guards lasted a moment or two longer because they were simply a bit sturdier and Yoda was not about to exhaust himself when he did not know if those were the only forces he'll have to face that day so he did not go all out.

He had turned over a thirty droids into scrap metal when two of the Dark Jedi darted in his way. The look of determination on the small Jedi's face never wavered and he jumped at his new attackers.

Yoda parried a slash by one and rolled over a sweeping strike from the other. Before landing for a split second he tried to cut the left side of one of his adversaries but the man managed to interpose his saber in front of the attack. The Jedi touched the ground and slashed at the legs of the same man only to be forced to jump away from an overhead strike by the other. While in midair he pulled his first target towards him with a telekinetic force and landed on the unfortunate man's shoulder. His emerald blade was buried in the Dark Jedi's mask.

He jumped up when a horizontal strike aimed at him decapitated the dead man. Yoda parried another slash and went on the offensive. He was jumping and spinning around the remaining fallen Jedi who was desperately trying to parry or avoid slashes coming from all sides.

The man had to jump when Yoda found himself at his feet and tried to cut him off at the knees. The Grandmaster grabbed the airborne man in a solid Force grip and slammed him in the ground hard enough to crack the marble. The broken man expired with a lightsaber blade struck through the top of his head.

Yoda rolled between a pair of commando droids who were taking pot shots at his Jedi, jumped up and took their heads with a single strike. From the height of his brief flight he saw a sight that made his eyes widen.

Ever since they felt Master Yoda joining the fight the Jedi were heartened and fought with redoubled efforts. Nahar, with the help of a lucky shot by Rex was able to deal with another of the Magna Guards leaving him only one as an obstacle to helping the Padawan.

That's when everything went wrong for the Jedi.

Rex was trying to find a clear shot to the remaining droid. He was not about to send blaster bolts where Ahsoka and her friend were engaged with the Sith. A stray shot there could end deflected at anyone.

The commander sensed something from behind him and tried to roll away but an invisible force slammed in his side and send him flying at a nearby column. He struck the hard stone with a grunt of pain. He felt a rib or two snapping in his right side. Rex frantically searched for his pistols which he had dropped but before finding his weapons an armored foot slammed in his left side and sent him back at the column. He looked up and found himself starring at the barrel of a heavy blaster held by a man in a gray mandalorian armor.

"Don't." grunted the warrior who had him at gunpoint.

Rex glanced to the battle between the Jedi and his heart froze. Another enemy had stalked up to them unnoticed.

Ventress was upon the Padawan like a Fury. The girls sensed her in the last moment but could hardly disengage from their opponents in order to face her.

Barriss was the one to feel her wrath. The young Jedi stepped back so she could face both the enemy she was engaging and the onrushing Sith. She looked grimly at her new enemy and prepared to defend herself. However moments later she found out that Ventress was on another level altogether from the man she was facing. And the female Sith was pissed off.

Despite that the young Mirialan managed to hold off both of them for few seconds. Their blades moved too fast for ordinary human eyes to follow as they clashed in a short and lethal union. Barriss deflected a slash that would have cut off her left hand and would have demolished her heart but was not fast enough to defend herself from Asajj's next attack. The Sith woman darted forward and plunged her scarlet blade in the Jedi's gut.

"Tano, stand down or your friend is finished!" growled Ventress.

Ahsoka shouted Offee's name and tried to run to her aid but was stopped cold by he own opponent. The female Acolyte used the distraction to swipe at the Padawan's saber arm and left a deep burned scar on it.

Skywalker's apprentice shouted in pain and surprise before finding herself on the ground after being kicked in the back of her knees. She tried to stand up but froze when a hand snaked around her and a crimson lightsaber blade was activated centimeter from her throat.

"That's quite enough, Jedi. Drop your weapon or the girls die." Ventress ordered the Mon Calamari male who had just disposed of the last Magna Guard.

Vebb glared at the Sith but after seeing the condition of the Padawan nodded sullenly and deactivated his lightsaber. He glared at the Dark Jedi and let his weapon fall to the ground.

Nahdar cursed when he was yanked hard by a Force pull and found himself lying on the ground next to Barriss who was clutching her abdomen and moaning quietly. Ahsoka grunted when she was thrown to nearby on the floor and the woman who had kept her at lightsaber point turned around and spoke through a voice amplifier. She could be heard over the rumbling sounds of the battle.

"Master Yoda, unless you want to see more of your Jedi die, you will stand down now!"

As if those words were a predefined signal, the droids and remaining Acolyte's disengaged and jumped back from their enemies.

The Grandmaster of the Order stared at the Dark Jedi who apparently led this attack. The woman nodded at one of her men who raised his red lightsaber over the prone form of Ahsoka Tano.

"Drop your weapons now or more of you will die!" she nodded at the Acolyte.

Many of the Jedi in the great hall could see how the Dark Jedi's lightsaber arched towards the young Togruta who was laying stunned on the ground.

"Not again!" I hissed through clenched teeth.

We were close, damn it! Only twenty more seconds and the LAATs could fly straight through the demolished doors of the temple!

My right hand shook while gripping a handhold so hard that the metal under my fingers groaned. I could see through Asoka's unfocused eyes the crimson blade falling for the kill.

**=RK=**

**Part 5**

**East Ball Room, Senate Building, Coruscant**

Anakin did not flinch when the blaster bolt flew centimeters from his side and hit Senator Ben Iblis in the stomach. However he stiffened when a scared Padme shouted his name and engulfed him in a frantic embrace from behind. Her hand were busy roaming all over his front searching for injury before it dawned to her that he was not hurt and she compose herself.

Skywalker glared at the smirking cutthroat who had sheathed his blaster and was grinning at them. If eyes could kill, Bane would be a stream of scattered atoms by now.

The Jedi could feel his anger and fear bubbling in him, trying to gain control. The whispers of the Dark side which was out there, just waiting for him to reach for her was not doing anything good for his state of mind.

Before meeting Veil, Anakin would have tried to suppress his anger, put it in a small box and lock it away. To disregard the dragon which lived deep within his heart. There is no emotion only peace. Riiight...

'Try telling that to my anger.' he mentally snorted. His feeling were real. Not something that could be simply disregarded or discarded. All the wonderful ones. And those leading to a particular kind of madness and self-destruction.

For first time in his life, instead of trying to deal with his emotions the Jedi way, which had never worked for him (see the Wife who was embracing him from behind) or stumble in the dark grasping for a way to deal with his feelings he decided to do something different. Anakin followed an advice given to him by Delkatar and let the anger flow through him. Instead of fighting it all the way, Skywalker channeled his emotions. Used them with a purpose.

For a moment he saw red and was terrified. If it was not for Padme holding him and her presence acting as an anchor he probably would have lost it and went berserk just like that time on Tatooine. But she grounded him and give him the strength to rally himself so he won't be controlled by his anger which was about to turn into pure fury.

Just as fast it had come, the perceived lack of control was gone and he was in charge again. Ah. Yeah. Suddenly Anakin felt the need to bash his head into the nearest flat surface. Delkatar had warned him not to try this stunt for the first time without someone to monitor him because after a life when he was trying to suppress his feelings they might overwhelm him if he let his emotions run mostly free.

He let those thoughts go. This was not the place or time for self-blame. Padme was here and was in danger. That was the important thing.

Anakin looked around the ball room with new eyes. He could feel the Force rushing through him like an unchained river which until now had been barred by a damn which was no longer there. Its rejuvenating power coursed through his veins and he felt more powerful than ever before.

His eyes stopped at each of the charges and the laser emitters attached to them which created a crimson spider web around him and the Senators. His glanced at the two dozen commando droids surrounding them and the few bounty hunters lounging around Bane. How was he going to get his wife and preferably the senators too, from this mess?!

**=RK=**

**Near the holding cells, Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

Dooku and Kadrian separated, moving to flank the Jedi Master. That gave a clear firing lane to the bounty hunters and the remaining droids, two of which were Magna Guards—the only survivors of a group which had dealt with a bunch of Jedi who had tried to reinforce the prison guards. The remaining commando droids placed their blasters on clamps built in their backs and drew vibroblades. Both machines and bounty hunters waited for a sign to attack.

The Force users looked at each other for a moment then they exploded in action. Windu sent a wave of Force energy at the woman staggering her in the middle of her charge and turned to his left side where he met the former Jedi turned Sith Lord head on. Purple and crimson blades crashed with tremendous force and Dooku was forced to step back in an attempt to keep his balance. His missing arm not only halved the power with which he could swing his blade. It also disrupted the balance of his body and would take him time and training to become accustomed to it. Or to the changes a prosthetic would bring. What was worse in his opinion was the slightly diminished connection he had with the Force because of his lost limb.

So the first clash of blades was enough for the Count to conclude that he won't be able to win a one on one battle with Mace. It was fortunate that he did not have to face the Jedi Master alone. Windu was forced to jump back and to the left to avoid being attacked from behind by Kadrian, whose blade swept through the position where the black man stood.

Dooku sent a concentrated lance of telekinetic energy at his former comrade who was surging at Say's flank. Windu blocked the attack by creating a half dome of Force energy in front of him before the spear of invisible power slammed into him. A whoosh of displaced air could be heard. The clash of energies could be actually seen as attack and shield collided. Mace remained unharmed but his charge at the Zabrak woman was disrupted and she could recover from her failed attempt to slash him in the back.

Windu faced the two Sith who moved in tandem leaving enough distance between themselves so they did not get in the way of each other – a typical mistake of people who had not trained to fight as a team.

On the Jedi's left, Dooku was advancing behind his stabbing lightsaber which he used as a rapier. In his current condition the old man had no intention to enter a contest of strength with his younger and hale adversary. On the right, Mace was confronted by the powerful strikes and slashed which were emblematic for the Djem So form.

For all his skill with lightsaber, Windu was hard pressed to defend himself when confronted by this two radically different styles at the same time. In order to counter the woman he had to place significant strength behind his parries and strikes which slowed him down a bit. Dooku's insistent attempts to skewer him required different approach... unless he could concentrate only on the traitor. The matter was not made easier by the inherently offensive nature of his own Vaapad style. Windu could not cut loose against those two. Not when he had to keep them between himself and their kriffing droids or risk to either be shot/stabbed or bludgeoned and shocked.

He glanced at the bounty hunters. At least two of those had flamethrowers mounted on their arm-guards. Or fired. Where were the other the Jedi? He was definitely not above asking for help when he needed it. When all was said and done, neither the Order nor the Republic had much use for dead heroes. Not that he saw himself as such. Windu had always done what he believed right for the people he was responsible for. As a Jedi Master that included most if not all other Jedi and the Republic as a whole. That's why he had to stop Dooku from escaping. He was a former Jedi who was a living proof that letting people leave the Order and go on their own was a monumental mistake for which everyone was paying even before the end of the war.

The only thing he felt towards a man he once saw as a kind of a mentor was pity. And determination to stop him at all costs.

The Jedi Master's thoughts ran in similar way as far as that other Sith was concerned. Windu did not know what games Veil was playing but that man had to be stopped. He felt it in his bones. If Veil was left to his own devices the Order as it was now would cease to exist replaced by some kind of abomination molded by the ideals of that monster. He had seen the records from the Great War all those eons ago. The murdered and tortured Jedi. Shattered Republic fleets. Whole worlds burned from order by that man's command. Mace shuddered to think what would have happened if Veil was not catapulted to the future. That Sith was a special kind of monster. Even worse than most common animals with who he shared name. Veil and Dooku were the greatest danger the Jedi and the Republic faced in millennia. It was not only their skills as battlefield commanders. Far from it. Their ability to use honeyed words to corrupt their enemies as well as their patience – that was the true threat that they represented.

It was a danger that the Republic and unfortunately a lot of young Jedi, both Padawan and Knights were not ready to face. Left unchecked those two could shatter the integrity of the Order and the Republic it had to protect without firing a shot. Their words were poison which would find all too many receptive ears.

Indeed, who would balk when one of those two offered a much easier and faster path to master the Force? It will be a lie but the Dark side is insidious. It confuses the mind and blinds. The power it confers in the short term is a mere hook, a tool which uses to twist a person until no one could recognize him anymore.

He was present for Tano's report and immediately saw the danger. The poor girl was unwittingly walking towards a path that will destroy her. Damn that man! He was openly corrupting young Jedi and right now was untouchable! Those blind fools who had never brushed with the dark side – both the Senators and the countless masses could never understand why a Jedi needed to cast off his feelings! Emotion was the greatest enemy to a Force sensitive! It left you open to the predations of the Dark side!

But those who did not know the Force simply could not see it that way. For them feeling emotions was the natural thing. So in the court of public opinion Veil would be a winner as long as he was careful and did not show his true face.

Windu ducked under a swipe from the woman that nearly took off the top of his head and deflected to the side a stab from Dooku. Getting distracted in the middle of combat almost got him killed!

Mace was still kneeling when he staggered under a powerful downwards strike from the woman. Dooku was moving to attack him again and he was in a bad position. Windu twisted his wrists to change the angle in which his and Kadrian sabers were locked and rolled to the right. His left leg snapped along the ground and he kicked the woman's feet from under her.

The Jedi Master was barely able to stand up when Dooku jumped over the prone form of Say and slashed at Mace. Windu parried and went on the offensive seeing probably the only opening he was going to get in this battle.

He surged forward with his purple blade dancing in an unpredictable manner. With every strike he was battering at the unsteady guard of Dooku and forcing the old man to retreat. The Vaapad master saw his opportunity and unleashed his deadly style. He let the Force fly through him and siphoned the dark side derived energies surrounding his opponents like cloaks.

Only the Count's excellent footwork and decades of experience permitted him to remain millimeters away from the purple blade seeking a piece of his flesh. Kadrian's attempts to counterattack and break up the Jedi's momentum turned out to be unsuccessful. Windu moved like a storm front, keeping the Sith between himself and the droids, and bounty hunters. Every time when Say tried to flank him he maneuvered in such a way as to mitigate any advantage she would have gained or used brute Force attacks to keep her close to Dooku. Ironically enough, despite being the least experienced of the three combatants, thanks to her preferred style, Kadrian was the one better suited to face Mace's powerful attacks. But considering that Windu resembled more a whirlwind of purple blades than a man at that time it was largely irrelevant.

"Enemy reinforcements just entered the Temple. Veil is on one of the LAAT's!" the comms worn by the bounty hunters came to life with the voice of one of the scouts watching for the Republic's response.

Dooku swore and nodded at the mercenaries and the droids. It was time to leave.

The Sith wasted a moment pondering the look of anger that flashed over Windu's face when he heard about Veil's arrival. So at least the good Jedi Master was not on good terms with the Republic's rising star. That was a useful information to have.

Dooku's lightsaber was battered away leaving him open for attack but before the purple blade could cut into his side, Kadrian's weapon intercepted the attack. Then the two Magna Guards were upon Windu followed by the commandos.

The old man breathed a sigh of relief. He summoned his lightsaber from the ground and followed the bounty hunters who waved him to hurry up.

Windu used a massive wave of Force to throw the droids out of his way and jumped after the running Sith only to have to scramble back when four flamethrowers bathed his way with hellfire. Before the bounty hunters stopped feeding the wall of fire the droids were back on their feet and fell on Mace like a pack of starving dogs. The Jedi Master raised his blade over his head and charged the machines.

**=RK=**

**Great Hall, Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

Yoda glared at the Dark Jedi who had three of his people on their "mercy". A concept that those fallen to the Dark side lacked. Two of the Acolytes were blocking his way. He could easily blow through them but not in tame to save young Ahsoka. Or his other two Jedi.

The lull in the battle gave an opportunity to most people present in the hall to watch the unfolding tragedy. The Grandmaster fought the urge to look away. Ahsoka was another child he had failed. Just like all other Jedi lying dead in the hall. This was the one building in the galaxy where his people should have been safe!

The ancient being's eyes widened. He could see it through the Force moment before it happen. So he acted.

The two Dark Jedi facing him were blown away like a twigs on the way of a hurricane as well as the droids who were nearby and could stop him.

Nahdar used the Force to reinforce his body to the breaking point and beyond. He knew that any direct attack would be sensed and stopped before it could do anything so he went another way. He moved like a blur and was over Ahsoka before the crimson lightsaber was halfway down. The attempt of Ventress to throw him out of his way with the telekinesis splashed over the energy surrounding his body.

He was in front of the swinging lightsaber and made a pushing motion with his arms discharging the Force he had gathered. He could feel the power racing to his hands and smiled.

The Mon Calamari blinked in confusion when he felt the Force dissipating with only a fraction of it pushing the Dark Jedi stumbling a couple of steps back. Something caught his attention and he looked to the right. The masked woman had her saber arm outstretched and her weapon was not in sight.

Nahdar looked down and his smile became sad. There was a still active lightsaber sticking to his right side. Vebb had a moment to wonder why it did not hurt before slowly toppling to the ground like a centuries old tree.

Asoka's sight cleared and in front of her horrified gaze the spark of life departed Nahdar's eyes. She was oblivious to the man who had tried to execute her actions.

He snarled and jumped forward ready to impale her on his blade. The shocked Padawan felt a tug and was hastily pulled away from the descending blade which stabbed the marble floor.

That was the last help Yoda could give her because he was attacked by a mixed group of Magna Guards and commando droids. One of the Dark Jedi he had thrown away had recovered enough to join the fun.

"You should have stood down, Jedi." muttered the masked woman. She made an intricate motion with her left hand and Ahsoka froze where she stood. She could feel a cocoon of Force which felt sickly sweet, twisted around her body preventing her from moving.

The masked man stood up and walker towards her.

"Third time is the charm, little Jedi. You are out of luck."

Ahsoka frantically grabbed at the Force with all her will. She was desperately trying to either free herself form this captivity or somehow stop the Dark Jedi.

Her blue eyes widened in fright when his blade arched towards her head for the third time.

**=RK=**

**LAAT gunship, Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

I could kiss both that brave boy who sacrificed himself to protect Ahsoka and the little green troll who was dealing havoc upon the CIS forces in the temple.

That thought flashed over the rage I was feeling. With every close call Ahsoka had while I was helpless to help her fed my fury. If I had a mirror I bet that my eyes right then would have been sickly yellow.

The LAAT flew through the smoking remains of the main temple gates. Moments later I used the Force to propel myself forward. I threw my lightsaber and used my mind to guide its flight. It ignited in midair with its crimson blade emanating the blood-thirst I felt towards those who dared to hurt Ahsoka.

I am not really sure how or when it happened, but there was a part of my mind that saw in her something of the person my unborn daughter could become. I had not thought about the way I felt about her. The only way I could describe it at the time was a strong affection and over-protectiveness akin to something you could feel towards a younger sibling. The fledgling Force connection only made those dormant feelings stronger.

It was an excellent food for my fury.

After I jumped from the LAAT the world moved in slow motion. I could see my lightsaber spinning lazily in the air, Ventress who was oh so slowly moving towards a female Jedi laying on the ground and a masked woman who was turning towards the gunships.

I twisted midflight so I could land on my feet while I gathered Force fueled lightning in my left palm. My lightsaber hit the blade of the man trying to cut down Ahsoka mid-swing with enough force to push back his weapon and make him stumble a step back.

My armored boots hit the ground hard and sent a pulse of force energy which collided with the two female Dark Jedi. They were thrown off their feet but managed to use their powers to land safely few meters away. The man was not so lucky. I sent a torrent of lightning at the bastard trying his best to kill Ahsoka. A part of my brain noted that she was kept in Force induced stasis and filed that tidbit of information for later digestion. I was too busy frying an idiot who wanted to be Sith without knowing what that truly was and guiding my lightsaber back to my outstretched right hand. The screams of the masked man was music to my ears.

If it was not for the bloody single-mindedness of the droids all combat in the great hall would have stopped. I could feel the shock of both the Jedi and their darker brethren at what they felt from me. I was drinking deeply from the Dark side and channeling it in a way only a True Sith could. From my position its icy tendrils were spreading through the Great Hall. And the screams of the man under my lightning assault were rising high over the din of battle. What I used on him was not my battle version. Oh, not at all. I was not feeling particularly merciful. It was the standard Sith lightning attack that was made for torture.

The man was suspended in the air with dark blue bolts of electricity arching through his body and grounding in the floor. I pushed more juice through my attack and he was pushed backwards. The Dark Jedi slammed hard in a column pockmarked by blaster fire and his smoking body lay still when it hit the ground.

I gave a slight nod to Ahsoka who was still paralyzed and walked towards her until I was between the young Togruta and the two females who probably thought they were Sith. Heh. What a joke.

"Ventress." I my voice hissed in a tone I did not immediately recognize. "It was foolish of you to participate in this... mistake." I muttered. Now it clicked. It was I've heard only in my memories. That of Darth Vael.

I fixed Asajj with an icy glare.

"Foolish children bumping in the night. I can see it in your stance. The way you move. And in your eyes. "I smirked. "You do not even comprehend what you are trying to emulate."

She glared fiercely at me.

"I am Sith!" she shouted but made no move to attack. I could see it plainly. The strong aura of darkness that I had shrouded around myself like a common cloak was terrifying her as well as drawing her in. And she did not know how to react.

"Nonsense." I snorted in response. "Girl, you barely qualify as a Dark Jedi." I pointed my ignited lightsaber at her. "You do not know the full power of the Force. All I've seen you do is surrender to the Dark side like a common thug. Where is your pride, woman? All I see are ignorant children who thing that being slaves to the Dark side is what mean to be a Sith! You are a bunch of blind fools!" My voice was gaining strength with each word until it was a dull roar echoing throughout the Great Hall.

I glared at the women.

"You want to a be Sith? I will educate you! It's time to learn what means to face a True Sith. It will hurt. A lot." A sinister smile stretched my lips.

I gathered upon myself the Dark side energies I was letting loose around me like a mantle and surged forward. Living shadows clung around me like a cloak which chilled the blood of everyone looking at me.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: This story was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles fo****ru****m: ****Buttlefingers, ****Chunq and NeoSeether! Thank you for the great work!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.  
**

**Phase 09: The Force Unleashed**

**=RK=**

**Part 1**

**Great Hall, Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

I stalked towards Ventress and her Dark Jedi friend. The latter, a masked woman raised her lightsaber in an overhead grip and charged me. I pointed my left hand in her direction and unleashed a wave of lightning that she caught on her blade but was forced to stop by the intensity of the attack. My eyes never left Asajj's face, who looked at me with apprehension. She summoned another lightsaber to her left hand from the blackened corpse of the man I fried and prepared to face me with her two weapons. Her spine stiffened and I could see determination shining in her dark eyes. I smiled thinly.

"So you do have spine then. Splendid."

I ceased my lightning assault at the masked woman and sent a nearby piece of shuttle's wing flying her way. Behind me, the clones were deploying and opening fire on the remaining droids. The weapon pods mounted on the gunships were making mincemeat of any concentration of enemy forces that was sufficient distance from the Jedi fighting in the hall.

The woman jumped over the smoldering piece of metal that flew her way just as I expected her to do. She was slammed backwards by a telekinetic wave that I sent at her. She flew back, and bounced off one of the columns lining the Great Hall.

I returned my attention to Ventress, who was running at me with raised swords. I faced her with blood-lust roaring through my veins. The Dark side was whispering to me that my enemies were at my mercy and I should take exquisite joy in destroying them. For once I agreed with its seductive suggestions.

I called to my empty left hand the lightsaber of the fallen Mon Calamari Jedi, the plain hilt rising from the ground and floating to my open palm. I think that the kid would have approved that his weapon be used one last time against those who slew him.

The azure blade, the color of virgin sea, came to life and I pointed it at the heart of Ventress, who was nearly upon me. My crimson lightsaber battered aside the sword in her left hand and the Jedi's weapon I held parried a diagonal slash aimed at my heart. In the first moments of our battle Asajj's torso was left wide open. I grasped the opportunity and I kicked her with my right leg like a battering ram. The sole of my foot connected with her midriff. My kick knocked the air out of her lungs sending her tumbling through the air.

I absentmindedly slashed behind me with the Jedi blade and deflected a scarlet lightsaber thrown at my back. The masked woman was back in the fight and she too had acquired additional weaponry. The Dark Jedi's own lightsaber was in her right hand but her left was gripping one of the saber-staffs of the fallen Temple Guards.

While she was sprinting my way she ignited the three blades. Her dark cloak and gray armor were illuminated by crimson and emerald glow.

The masked woman attacked me with sweeping strikes which I either parried or sidestepped. It was almost easy. The way she was wielding her weapons was awkward. She had let herself fall under the influence of the Dark side. While her attacks were powerful, they were erratic, lacking precision. If I paid attention I could dance around her the whole day without receiving a scratch.

I was not in the Temple for dodge training, though. The strength behind my strikes increased as I stopped testing her technique, which was lacking and not only because she was letting her anger blind her. I started cursing Darth Bane and Darth Sidious in Huttese. Properly trained, the woman I was facing would have been something to watch. As she was now, a mere initiate in Korriban's academy could fight with her and prevail. Despite her strength in the Force.

Both Jedi and the so-called Sith of this age were soft. Weak. However, there was hope yet for them. The war was young. There would be enough time for the survivors of both sides to be tempered and reforged. The flames of the Clone Wars would see to that, and if I had anything to say about it, neither the Jedi Order or the Sith would continue to exist as the corrupted abominations they were in this day and age.

I was advancing against the masked woman. My weapons were stabbing closer and closer to her body while she was desperately trying to interpose her blades between my attacks and herself. I rotated to the left, avoiding a clumsy counter-attack and used my momentum to batter aside her single hilt lightsaber. She stumbled to the side under the force of my attack and I twisted around once again and crouched under a weapon thrown by Ventress as she returned to the fight.

My left leg swung parallel to the ground and struck the masked woman in the back of the knees, sending her tumbling to the ground. I "aided" it with a telekinetic push thanks to which she was thrown away, bouncing off the floor.

I felt Ahsoka's distress through our bond and threw the Mon Calamari's saber her way. I acted on instinct, not even realizing what I did before the azure blade was spinning through the air. A damaged Magna Guard had made its way to the still paralyzed kid and was about to crush her skull with its force staff. Nahdar's blade flew true and was buried into the machine's torso, held in place by my will. I tugged at its hilt with the Force and the saber moved erratically slicing the droid to pieces. I could feel Ahsoka's relief and gratitude. I gave her a small nod.

Ventress used that minor distraction to cross the distance separating us and attack. If she expected to surprise me, the woman was delusional. Her Dark presence was like a delicious morsel to my senses. Our blades clashed with the unique sound of touching lightsabers and I locked our weapons together. A deft twist of my wrist was all I needed to push her saber to my right. My left fist darted through the air and struck her right cheek. I felt bone snapping under the impact of my armor-clad hand.

The hit staggered her and I repeated it again and again, turning that side of her face into a bloody mess. A short and non-lethal lightning bolt later she was convulsing on the ground.

The masked woman was back on her feet and charging at me.

"You know, the definition of madness is doing the same thing again and again, expecting different results." I quipped at the Dark Jedi attacking me.

She used telekinesis to send the remains of a few droids at me as a distraction and darted behind the scrap metal, with her lightsaber leading the way. I banished the metal pieces at the ceiling and rotated around her weapon which was trying to skewer me. At the end of my spin I stabbed at the back of the woman who was passing by me. My crimson blade entered her back and exploded through the armor over her chest.

The masked woman stumbled a few steps forward and fell to her knees.

I did not expect to hear her rasping laughter. She used her left hand to remove her mask and turned her face towards me.

"You were deceived." There was a smile on her disfigured face. Its right side was a sculpture presenting perfect features which could be the envy of any woman. But its left was deformed, with the eye mostly hidden by a drooping flesh. "Ah, I see you've figured it out," she chuckled. "this was not as badly planned as you might think..." the words of the Chiss woman were lost to a fit of coughing.

"A clone. You are only days old." I declared, examining the creature carefully through the Force.

If I had met the original or if there were two copies of the same type in the Temple I might have sensed the deception earlier. As it was there was nothing to tip me off besides her bad training, yet she was too powerful for a mere clone with no time to be trained. How?

My eyes widened. I remembered a game I played back on my Earth. It felt ages ago.

"The Valley of the Jedi." I declared.

Sidious had found it. And now everything made sense. All this was a distraction merged with a test. I had no doubt that unless the Jedi had their collective heads out of their asses for once, Dooku was getting away right now.

My attention snapped back to the dying clone of the Chiss woman. I could feel Ventress' confusion. She was on the ground a few meters behind me and was starring at the clone.

"Well played." I congratulated the soon to be corpse.

She gave me a stiff nod.

"I have no regrets..." she coughed again. "At least my death has meaning."

"On the contrary child," I shook my head. I definitely did not mean 'Well, done! You've thrown your life so now you can have a biscuit as a reward.'. "Your masters saw that their pawns stood no chance against me, and found a way to address the issue of their incompetence. After all is said and done quantity does have its own quality."

Behind me Ventress attempted one last "surprise" attack. Foolish girl.

I ducked under one of her sabers and parried the second. Our eyes met. I grabbed her left wrist before she could attack me again with the lightsaber in that hand. I drew power from the Dark side to summon a lightning in the palm of my left hand. The same one holding Asajj's arm.

The Dark Jedi shrieked as energies born from the Dark side itself coursed through her body, lighting her nerves on fire. Her shouts were cut short when I buried my blade deep into her chest. Our eyes met and I saw the spark of life leaving her. Then something unexpected happened. I could feel a bit of power flowing from her corpse into me as the Force in her body started dissipating.

I shook my head. That was something to think about later. I released my hold on the remains of what until a moment ago has been Asajj Ventress slide to the ground in a boneless heap and returned my attention to the dying clone.

I could feel the life force leaving her with every heartbeat. I knelt in front of her and gently lifted her chin so I could look her in the eyes. Black and green stared back at me. Around us the battle was ending. With Yoda cutting loose on the few remaining enemy clones and my troopers added to the mix the remains of the CIS forces did not stand a chance.

As the Chiss woman was weakening so did the stasis field surrounded Ahsoka. The kid finally managed to cut through her bindings and stumbled to her feet.

"Thank you, Delkatar." she mumbled with a sad smile and ran to the other wounded padawan who had been lying abandoned on the ground.

"Always, kid," I smirked at her and returned my full attention to the dying woman in front of me. "Such a waste," I muttered to her. "Is this what you truly desire, child? To throw away your life before you had a chance to experience it?"

Inside I seethed with fury. What the Republic was doing with its clone army was bad enough. The Force cursed Separatists and that prick Sidious had gone a step further. This woman was a slave sent to die as a damn test! And she did not even know it! That was something that I wouldn't permit.

"Look at me!" I ordered.

Her hooded eyes met mine. She was weakening fast.

"Tell me what do you wish. Not what you were told that you want. But what..." I poked her in the chest near the wound I carved in her torso causing her to wince. "you desire for yourself!"

I stared in her eyes. Through the Force, I could sense the rough conditioning which was used to give her the minimum knowledge needed to accomplish this sick test. The same incompetent butcher had carved a geas in her mind, convincing her that dying to accomplish her mission was all she could ever look up to. Whoever did that had just won a special fate when I got my hand on the bastard.

Now she got my undivided attention. With no real training or experience to speak of she had fought splendidly against the Jedi. That was something I had seen through Ahsoka's eyes. Her crude attacks were not a sloppy form or because of a lack of talent. On the contrary, during her battles she had drawn instinctive knowledge from the Force about the fundamentals of lightsaber combat. It was a rare talent that I had not seen in a very long time.

I used a scalpel of pure Force to cut around the crude mental programming that was imposed upon this unfortunate woman who was made to simply be sacrificed. I sliced through dark tendrils that represented the conditioning and subtly used my power to remove them. I carefully withdrew from her mind and looked at her eyes, which were already clearing.

"Oh. What did you do?" she pouted like a little girl.

"Set you free, little bird. Now answer me. What do you wish?"

She looked at me with confusion. To be fair, it was a kind of a stupid question. She did not know enough about anything to know. Yet her answer was more than good enough.

"To live." she whispered, amidst a fit of coughing. The days-old woman fixed my eyes with a determined stare. "To win." Despite being on her knees and my fingers holding her chin, she gave a small nod towards the lightsaber in my right hand which was pocking her painfully in the chest.

I smiled at her proudly.

"You'll do."

I let the hilt of my saber slip from my fingers and clatter to the marble floor. I gathered the Force to me and used the emotions raging within my heart to demand its cooperation. I subjugated the Dark side to my will, gathering its energies in my right hand. The power of the Light side flowed to my left palm. I placed both hands on the chest of the expiring woman. Her mouth opened in a wordless "O" and her eyes widened when the unleashed power of the Force blazed into her body.

I could sense the Jedi gathering around us and felt their eyes upon me. Ahsoka was shouting something but I could not afford to listen. I was literally holding the life of this woman in my arms. What little was left of her life force was gripped in my metaphysical fingers and held in place only by my will.

I opened myself fully to the Force, becoming a conduit for the energies I was manipulating. Light and shadow danced around us. Through us. I could see the wound I had dealt to the woman, and see that even without it she had only weeks to live. Whatever process was used to clone her original who was undoubtedly one of the Dark Jedi in service of Sidious or Dooku – was far from perfect.

Her DNA was unstable, breaking apart. Talk about expendable soldiers.

"I will not let you die! I won't fail again!" I did not know that I shouted those words loud enough to shake the Great Hall.

The poisonous touch of the Dark side flowed like acid through the woman's veins, burning away strands of corrupted DNA. Right behind it, I poured copious amounts of Light side energy, modulating it in such a way to rejuvenate dying flesh and rebuild the basic code of life.

The hole in her chest was sealed shut by newly formed healthy flesh. Her heartbeat became steadier and stronger, while my own heart was hammering within my breast trying to jump out. I panted with the exertion of using so much power.

I was by no means finished but a warning I could not ignore was delivered through the Force. I quickly scaled down the energies I was channelling and looked around.

The battle was over. I was surrounded by the majority of the clones who survived the skirmish. My men were tense. They were gripping their weapons and I realized they were ready to aim and open fire. I wondered what had them on edge until I noticed the shouting. Yoda and Windu were arguing while Ahsoka was yelling at the Vaapad master.

In a loose semicircle around my troopers were scores of Jedi – both padawans and knights. Some were looking at the arguing masters but many more were starring at me.

I extended my senses beyond the woman I was busy tending. She was by no means alright but at least she was no longer in danger of dying any time soon. I had stabilized her DNA enough that she could sustain her own life using the Force. For more, she needed to see a specialist who could devise a therapy to clean up the rest of the mess. With my limited knowledge it was a small miracle that I was able to help her as much as I did.

I stiffened when I felt the emotions of the Jedi surrounding us. A small but still significant number were in awe by my performance. But most of them were afraid. Those people were giving me wary looks. I could feel it. They wondered how big a threat I was.

That was what Windu was arguing about. He was citing some kind of ancient law according to which the Jedi Order had jurisdiction over all Force sensitives in the Republic. Which included me too.

I was a threat that could not be ignored, wasn't I? Damn Jedi!

**=RK=**

**Part 2**

**East Ball room, Senate Building, Coruscant**

Anakin was looking glumly around the big room. He was confident that if the worst happened he would be able to get Padme out of this deathtrap in one piece. The same could not be said about the rest of the senators and their staff. Many of those people were his wife's friends so he was reluctant to leave them to their fate, even if he was not a Jedi.

Truth to be told he had a lot of options, in theory. What he'll be able to pull off while saving most of the hostages was different matter. He could use telekinesis to dealt with most of the droids and mercenaries, temporally, but such an act was likely to set off the charges around the room. It would be very easy for one of the enemies hurled by such an attack to cross one of the laser beams keeping the hostages secure. After what happened on Master Secura's flagship not too long ago, Anakin was convinced that he wouldn't be able to use the Force to erect a force field around himself and the senators to protect them from the explosions. At best he'll be able to save few people. At worst, even with the Force raging through him, now that he used his emotions to fuel its power, they all would be turned into pieces.

Skywalker thought about trying to use what most people called the "Mind Trick" to influence Bane but disregarded that idea almost immediately. Such a thing worked only on the weak willed and the bounty hunter was anything but. Failing in such an attempt was guaranteed to get people killed.

If he had his lightsaber he could have cut through the floor, provided there were not so many prying eyes... But that idea was not entirely without merit. He could use the Force to do it. It would not be fast but he might be able to weaken the thick metal enough, without being noticed, so one massive strike could cave it in. At least some of the senators had a good chance of getting away. Yet, if he messed up, he could shake the room and blow them all up to the stratosphere.

It all came back to the kriffing bombs! If they weren't there...

Anakin perked up at that thought and looked at the charges. He did not know how much explosive was in there or what kind. But he could see only the laser tripwires. He closed his eyes and concentrated on one of the charges. It took him more than a few minutes to make head from tails of what he was sensing, and then, Skywalker, had to suppress a grin. There was a built in receiver but no transmitter. The bombs were not linked by comms to detonate if one of them was tampered with. If they were, his plan would have gone down in flames. Anakin admitted there was no way he would be able to disarm all the charges at the same time. By the Force, he would only be able to work on two or three at the same time, at best, and there were nearly eighty of the things!

He concentrated on one of the charges with intangible fingers, and traced its internal mechanisms with the Force. Skywalker needed to sabotage the bomb in such a way that the enemy would remain unaware. It was a conventional explosive device. Which meant that there was a detonator in the compound that was meant to be blown up. After a minute of careful probing his "fingers" found it. Then a second and a third. Whoever built the thing was a firm believer in redundancy.

With great care, Skywalker traced the wires that connected the detonators to separate power sources and thought about the best way to disable the device. It took him minutes of painstaking work to ensure that the bomb thought it was still armed and ready to go off. However there would be no energy racing to the detonators. The charge was little more than expensive wall ornamentation now.

One down. Too many left to deal with. Anakin hoped that the damn bounty hunter didn't decide to shoot more senators before he had disarmed most of the charges.

Minutes later he had dealt with four more bombs when he sensed a disturbance in the Force. Anakin paled, and his head snapped to where he was hearing the death cries of Jedi! It was the Temple!

Bane noticed his reaction and chuckled.

"So the rumors are true. You Jedi can feel it when a number of your kind dies," the bounty hunter nodded to himself as if this was just a confirmation to something he knew.

"What have you done?!" growled Anakin.

"Me? Nothing besides what you see around you. Tell me, Jedi, do I look like a fool?! We always knew you wouldn't release Dooku, so steps were taken to release the good Count. The CIS wants him back."

Skywalker stared at the mercenary's eyes and shivered. He was mistaken about the aim of the attacks. He could see it in the man's eyes. Bane had no intention of letting any of them go. Oh, Anakin knew that rescuing Dooku and Grievous were high on the Seps priorities, but in the end it was a secondary goal. Skywalker was a Republic general so he was painfully familiar with the strategic situation. The CIS held all the cards because GAR needed at least six more months to be truly ready for a war of this scale. Naturally, their enemies were not inclined to give them the needed time.

The nightmare on Naboo was siphoning precious naval units for the blockade. With the consequences of the attack on Coruscant, the Republic was in even worse situation. If the bastards managed to kill enough senators, the army was likely to be paralyzed while the remaining politicians scrambled to organize. If the political crisis became bad enough, the CIS could force peace on their own terms. A devastated senate was unlikely to be able to resist. At least not with the GAR put on the defense upon all fronts as it was at the moment.

Either that, or the Chancellor would be forced to take even more power to clean up the mess. However, in doing so Palpatine may damage the Republic beyond repair, the Republic he had been frantically trying to save ever since he became Chancellor.

Anakin glared at the bounty hunter but declined to reply. He closed his eyes and sat down as if he were meditating. He disregarded the muttering of the senators, and concentrated on the next bomb. He was quickly running out of time. Skywalker gritted his teeth as he felt another Jedi die, and continued to disarm the charges.

He was up to number fifteen when his concentration was shattered, almost detonating the explosive by accident. Skywalker could feel Ahsoka fighting for her life, and loosing. It was very hard for him to suppress the instincts screaming at him to run to the Temple and help his padawan.

Anakin shuddered when he felt every one of her close calls. When she was caught is some kind of strange stasis field, he was ready to jump through the air. If it was not for all the people around him, counting on him to protect them, Skywalker would have been halfway to the Temple by now.

His body shook with impotent fury when he felt Ahsoka's despair. Anakin could almost see the blade descending towards his helpless padawan. Then everything changed. A wave of Dark side energies exploded from the location of the Jedi Temple and drowned everything else with its oppressive miasma.

The last thing he could clearly sense from Ahsoka was relief. Anakin smiled in a way that looked just wrong on the face of any Jedi.

Anakin knew the source of that Dark power. He had wondered why Veil had not tried to save the hostages and him, but now he knew. His fellow general had gone to the Temple, and was unleashing a fury that matched the emotions within his own heart.

Skywalker just hoped that the rest of the Jedi would not overreact about Delkatar. He smirked and returned to dealing with the bombs.

Padme was looking at him in a way that demanded answers, he soundlessly mouthed "later," and then returned his attention to the delicate work of disarming the bombs without using his physical limbs.

**=RK=**

**Great Hall, Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

I rose on my shaky feet and looked around again. If I was so inclined this mess would make a great justification for something resembling Order 66. That way I could have rid the galaxy from most of the irrevocably brainwashed Jedi.

I had carefully removed the worst of the mental conditioning from my troopers during the weeks when my forces were being assembled. This was one of the reasons why my soldiers were ready to back me up to the hilt. But after dealing with the droids, only twenty four of the clones were still on their feet, and combat ready with five additional medics caring for the wounded.

I had arrived at the Temple with fifty people, excluding the pilots. Half of my men were lying dead or wounded. Death without purpose was something that I never found acceptable during my time as Darth Vael. For most Sith commanders, their troops were expendable resources. That was a school of thought that I had never subscribed to, and as a result the soldiers under my command tended to have much better morale. I smiled proudly at my men. They were professionals, and knew that if the Jedi decided to do something stupid, and attack us, there was not much that they could do. There was infantry on the ground, and two gunships floating protectively over my head. If the Jedi decided to be violent, they would be met in kind. Knowing my men, there were heavy reinforcements on the way as well.

I shook my head. With the Senate taken hostage by CIS agents, I did not have time to deal with the Jedi's insecurities. They were justified, I'll grant you that. I wanted the Order in its current state dismantled, ensuring that the fanatics amongst the Jedi were not free to cause problems with my future plans, but that did not mean that I was too keen on Sidious going through with Order 66. There were some good people in the organization who I would prefer to be reformed under the ancient Jedi creed, or as Sith, under my teachings and not under the dogma from any of the sects that existed in the Empire. Or even worse, this Rule of Two abomination.

I swayed with exhaustion and one of the nearby clones grabbed my left arm to help keep me upright.

"Thank you, corporal." I muttered quietly.

I gathered some of the ambient Force energy drowning the Temple, and used it to rejuvenate myself a bit. It did not make me even close to one hundred percent but it took the edge off the weakness I was feeling. I stretched and heard my bones creaking. I needed to rest, damn it! But, there was no use in hoping for something I knew I would not receive any time soon.

I strode slowly towards the arguing Jedi. At the moment, I was in charge of the whole clusterfuck on Coruscant, but I was out of communication with either ships in orbit or the forces investing the Senate for the last fifteen minutes or so. I prayed that the building was still standing, or if it had fallen I prayed Palpatine had died with it. I may have missed his death while preoccupied... Nah. Neither I or the galaxy were that lucky.

I heard argument as I moved closer. "Delkatar has not made a single action against the Jedi! He came here, risking his life to help us while he probably should have been dealing with the situation at the Senate! And how do you want to repay him for his assistance?!" Ahsoka Tano was almost foaming at the mouth. Mace Windu was glaring at Tano as if he were tempted to activate his lightsaber.

"Ahem." I cleared my throat loudly. I had to keep myself from smiling when Windu almost jumped. I regretted that I was not able to pay closer attention to the show, and hoped that my soldiers had the cameras in their helmets up and running.

Yoda, who looked much older then the last time I spoke with him, nodded in my direction. If his expression was anything to go by, the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order was becoming tired of the arguments.

"Master Yoda, Ahsoka. I am glad you are fine, considering the circumstances." I pointedly excluded Windu.

"Fine, we are not. But your sentiment, appreciated, it is." said Yoda.

"Its time to end this farce!" hissed Mace. "The Sith are a forbidden organization in the Republic. In the name of the Galactic Senate you are under arrest!" he declared grandly.

I snorted. "Two points. First, prove it. I am willing to bet that I do not qualify as a "Sith" under Republic law. I was a member of an organization of the same name – nearly four thousand years ago. And second, I am not a Republic citizen. I have not broken any Republic law, Jedi. Third! At the moment I am the GAR commander responsible for all Republic forces on Coruscant until we can contact High Command or the Chancellor. Under the circumstances, first it should be confirmed that Palpatine is not acting under duress before he could countermand my authority. So, choose your next words very carefully. You have no reason to arrest me besides your fears. I have not done a single thing against either the GAR or the Republic." I declared calmly.

If anyone is wondering I did check the Republic laws concerning me and the Sith in general. In the last thousand years some very interesting loopholes were added by newer laws...

Ironically, the Jedi were the ones who granted me the greatest boon possible as far as legal protection goes: the fact that I stated in front of their Grandmaster that I was a Sith, and he did not order my arrest. With that information in hand, any half competent Councilor could argue that what I thought to be Sith, and what I considered myself was nothing like the monsters of old with which I only shared a name...

The fun part was that if the matters ever reached court, Palpy would gleefully support me in an attempt to hamstring the Jedi. After all, I stood as an example for a staunch defender of the Republic, a successful and popular general! All the while, the Jedi were unable to keep in custody the engineer behind the CIS, a former Jedi to booth. Lawyers and politicians are such fun people! To a Sith.

"Let's leave the courts to decide, Sith," Windu spat.

I could see that he prayed for me to resist. That would permit him to attack me in my weakened state. As we all know history is written by the victors. With me (and my clone troopers) out of the picture, the Jedi would be free to spin whatever outlandish story they wanted.

"You can't just arrest him! Delkatar has done nothing wrong!" protested Ahsoka.

"Padawan Tano! Be silent! One more word and I'll see you expelled!"

The Togruta teenager glared daggers at him. She looked between me and the Vaapad master.

"Hasty such an action is, Master Windu." said Yoda in an attempt to defuse the situation.

Our argument was put on hold when six LAATs flew through the remains of the shattered main doors. The gunships flew over us and from them rappelled scores of heavily armed clone troopers.

A Jedi Master I knew jumped from the leading troop transport and hurried to join us. I could feel the turbulent emotions of the newcomer. I was sure the reason for that was one of my contingency plans in place just in case some of the Jedi decided to make fools from themselves. Windu was a case in point.

The Jedi who surrounded my troopers and I looked uneasy when the clones who just arrived moved to face them.

Yoda looked around with a sad expression on his face while Windu gave me a satisfied smirk.

"Now, you all see the truth!" the Vaapad master pointed at the clones.

"The Sith is about to show his true colors!"

I shook my head in exasperation. I knew that Windu despised me for what I was ever since he laid his eyes upon me but this was bloody madness! He was about to screw over the Jedi in a such a way that even Sidious would be envious. You see, the LAATs which brought me to the Temple had various cameras. What was happening here was streamed live to the various GAR commands on Coruscant which were not jammed, as well as to the fleet in orbit...

**=RK=**

**Part 3**

**Republic Cruiser Requiem, High orbit over Coruscant**

Commodore Pellaeon, who under orders from General Veil, had assumed command over all navy forces over the capital, watched with trepidation the live feed from the Jedi Temple. The revelation about what his commander truly was not as much a shock as one might expect. Gilad was not blind. While it was easy to see that Veil was a Force user, he was nothing like any of the Jedi the officer knew or imagined them to be.

When Pellaeon saw the Jedi Temple under attack he was torn. Oh, the Order members had great reputation, one they managed to keep mostly intact for nearly a thousand years. However for most people the Jedi were just a myth. Even with present day speed of travel, the explored galaxy was enormous. It was not surprising that only a very small percentage of the population had actually met a Jedi or seen them in action. That was all changing with the onset of this war.

Truth to be told, as a kid Pellaeon had admired the Jedi and the tales about their incredible achievements, something that had not really changed as he grew up. But then the war started and the Jedi were immediately given the ranks of generals and commanders, without any military training!

As a ship's captain, Gilad was privy to a lot of confidential information. Thanks to his lover, who was an RI agent, he knew even more. Both GAR internal After Action Reports and the rumor mill painted a grim picture. While as warriors, the Jedi were superb (excelling in relatively small battles where they could have a great impact on an individual tactical level), the performance of most of them as commanders was sorely lacking. The list of bloody ground battles and shattered ships thanks to their mistakes was horrendous. The fact that most Jedi now outranked men and women with decades of actual experience in the army and navy just acted as an additional point of friction.

Gilad shook his head. This whole war was dragging the Jedi Order through the mud, and they couldn't even realize it! There were times he wondered if most of the Jedi understood the rest of the galaxy. While his respect for the Jedi as individuals was still there, that of the Order as an organization had gone down the drains when the Jedi Council had taken the offered command position for the Jedi with barely a notice and sent unprepared boys and girls to lead troops in battle. He did not blame too much the Jedi who fought and died with their soldiers, but their leaders who had put everyone in such a position without a second thought.

The Commodore stared grimly at the holo-display showing the live feed from the Temple. Veil, who for some reason had healed the Chiss woman he had impaled with his lightsaber, rose up swaying and one of the clones helped steady him. Pellaeon watched grimly as Master Windu declared that he was placing the General under arrest. From the corners of his eyes he could see his aide and some of the clones working on the bridge wincing. When GAR reinforcements arrived on the scene, Gilad and the crew who were watching felt relieved. The medics from the second flight of LAATs to arrive were already spreading through the former battleground and helping the wounded, while the clone troopers were taking defensive positions around their still standing brethren, ready to protect the General.

In the long term it did not matter how the situation was resolved. The Jedi had just taken a hit to their credibility that they would spend decades recovering from.

Right now, the Republic was in a gray area. With the Senate, the Chancellor and the GAR headquarters out of communication and presumed either destroyed or under duress, General Veil had taken charge and had a very good case for being the Acting Supreme Commander of all Republic forces. At the very least he was in command of everything in the capital system. Trying to arrest the General for what amounted to trumped up charges, during during such a crisis was madness. "Or treason." added a small voice in the back of Pellaeon's mind.

As far as the Commodore knew, Veil had not done a single thing against the interests of the Republic. Just the contrary, in fact – in a few skirmishes, the General had won great strategic victories for the GAR. More than the Jedi combined could boast so far.

He knew that the stunt pulled by Windu was not going to go well with the troops. It was obvious that the Jedi was banking on the revelation that Veil was a Sith to carry the day. However the Sith were were little more than a half-forgotten story told to scare children into behaving. Gilad was ready to bet anything that the General had done his homework and knew what he was talking about when he stated that he could not be considered a Sith under Republic law. That would be enough for a lot of people, especially when combined with Veil's record so far. To be fair, Dooku, the man who forged the CIS and was leading them until his capture, was a former Jedi turned Sith. Pellaeon found it deliciously ironic that another Sith was now on the side of the Republic to balance things. He only hoped that Dooku was still in custody: that bald woman Veil killed was supposed to be in prison too. Letting the Count escape would be another nail in the coffin of the Jedi's reputation.

The Commodore cursed quietly. They had more than enough problems to deal with without the Jedi making additional problems!

He glared at the screen where a close up of Windu's smug smile could be seen. Pellaeon hoped that the Jedi who had just arrived at the Temple could help cool down the explosive situation, but that was not something he could afford to count on.

"Comms, give me a line to the fleet. I want half of the reserve ground forces heading towards the Jedi temple yesterday. Those fools aren't taking the General without a fight! Make sure that the boys know not to start anything, but if the Jedi down there are foolish enough to start something we will finish it!" the Commodore declared.

The final straw was Windu's declaration that the Jedi would leave for the Senate to debate Veil's fate. Under the circumstances, that was madness! For all anyone knew the senators might be all dead already! Pellaeon was not going to allow one of the Republic's best generals, not to mention his Acting Commander in Chief, to rot in prison for months, or if they were really unlucky – years, until the senate managed to sort itself out, and be able to deal with the Jedi's accusations.

At least that was what he would say if anyone asked him. But there would be something else he would leave unsaid. Gilad knew that there were some Senators that were too close to comfort to the Jedi Council. If some of those survived it was likely that guilty or not, the General would finds himself in a tough spot without having done anything wrong.

It was a hard thing to admit, but the government he had sworn to protect had its flaws, some of which were pretty big. He would have had to be blind to not be aware of the rampant corruption within the Senate. Gilad knew that the Chancellor was doing his best to clean up the monumental mess but the man's efforts were often not enough. If he looked at it objectively, Pellaeon knew that the systems making the CIS often had legitimate grievances and reasons to secede. However that did not mean he agreed with the way they went about it.

Kriff it all! He hated being placed in position where he had to deal with politics!

Pellaeon nodded when he received reports that the Navy ships in orbit had acknowledged his orders and were executing them. Now he could only wait and see how the crisis on the ground was resolved.

**=RK=**

**Great Hall, Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

Obi-Wan had felt the disturbance in the Force before his command ship exited Hyperspace near Coruscant. However the truth about what was happening was much worse than his greatest fears! GAR High Command attacked and silent. The senate (with most of the government in attendance) in enemy hands. The bases near that building attacked and under lock down and even the Jedi Temple under assault.

The Jedi General had wasted no time to act – he sent Cody with the bulk of the troops on the Negotiator to join the cordon forming around the Senate while he left to aid his fellow Jedi.

He was informed by Commodore Pellaeon, one of Veil's protegees, that the General had taken command of the situation and was already on his way to the Temple. That was a cause for a bit of relief, after all the general knew what he was doing, but it had lasted only until the LAATs with Kenobi's... acquaintance, reached the Temple and activated cameras relaying to all GAR units in the system what was happening.

To say that Obi-Wan was appalled by the destruction and the death toll he was seeing with his own eyes would be an understatement. Yet, the Jedi Master was glad that Delkatar arrived in time to save at least the two girls – Anakin's padawan, who just like her master was pursued actively by trouble, and was that Luminara's apprentice lying wounded on the ground?

While he did not approve of the blatant use of the Dark side powers displayed by Veil for, Obi-Wan's fears that the man was going to lose himself in the dark turned out to be unfounded. Delkatar even saved one of the women he fought after killing Ventress. He idly wondered what was that about Valley of the Jedi they all heard, but decided it could wait.

Thanks to the audio pick ups mounted on those two LAATs, Kenobi and all other people receiving the signal could hear what was being said in the Great Hall.

Soon things turned out for the worse. Windu had appeared and started to argue with both Yoda and Ahsoka Tano. It was inevitable, really. From the beginning, Obi-Wan knew that once the true identity of Veil was known to the rank and file of the Order, there would be hell to pay. Unfortunately, most Jedi were not as open minded as himself.

He knew that the Order was far from perfect but still believed that it was the best way to keep force sensitives from the corruption of the Dark side. Yet, now, after some long conversations with Veil, Kenobi's faith in his Order's teaching was wavering. It was hard to argue with Delkatar when Windu was showing for all to see some of the worst failings of the Jedi Order as an institution. That this display was made by one of the most respected Jedi Masters made it even worse.

Obi-Wan was praying that the gunships could travel even faster. He could see the clones who had arrived with Veil ready to resist the Jedi if they attempted to arrest their general. He glanced at the men in the troop compartment with him. Their helmets did not give any hint what they were going to do, but he doubted that they would stand against their brothers. Most likely the clones would follow the military regulations, and the troopers knew that Veil had assumed command of all GAR forces.

Kenobi prayed that he would be able to defuse the situation. Anything less and his actions would just add to the body count.

**=RK=**

The good news was that Obi-Wan arrived at the temple before the situation exploded in everyone's faces. He jumped from the hovering transport after ordering the medics he had brought to take care of the wounded. He frowned when he saw his clone troopers joining Veil's men and taking defensive positions. This had the potential to become very ugly. Kenobi did not know if his fellow Jedi were aware that everything was going live but considering what he felt from Windu and some of the men and women facing the clones he doubted that they would care anyway.

'How did we end like this?' wondered the Jedi Master.

Obi-Wan walked between Delkatar and Mace who were glaring at each other. Kenobi nodded respectfully to Yoda, and then turned to padawan Tano, ignoring Windu for the moment.

"Ahsoka, I see you've learned how to get into all kind of trouble from my former apprentice. I should have a talk with that boy about what he is teaching you." he said with a straight face, looking at her wounded right hand.

"Ah, that. Its just a scratch, Master Kenobi!" exclaimed the young Togruta.

"Good to hear it. What about the shouting match you are having with two council members?"

Ahsoka looked uneasy for a moment but then her azure eyes blazed with determination, and she stood straighter.

"Master Windu is being entirely unreasonable!" she declared with conviction ringing in her voice.

"Is he, now?" muttered Obi-Wan and turned his gaze towards the fuming Vaapad master.

Meanwhile Yoda was watching the antics of the younger Jedi with an amused smirk on his face. He could feel the tension bleeding out of the Jedi present in the great hall. Only Windu was refusing to let go of his anger. That was not good for so many reasons...

"Master Windu, I missed most of the excitement. Please enlighten me, what is going on? We all have more important issues to deal with! Should I remind you that, the Senate is under enemy control, and the Senators are hostages?!"

"Not to mention that the confusion of these attacks could give the CIS navy opportunity to strike targets that were previously out of their reach. The GAR reaction speed is crippled until we can clean up the mess on Coruscant." added Veil.

Kenobi nodded in agreement. The Separatists would be fools not to capitalize on the Republics confusion, but before such things could be dealt with, the immediate crisis had to be averted.

Windu pointed an accusing finger at Delkatar, who rolled his eyes at the Jedi.

"He is the greatest threat to both the Jedi Order and the Republic I can see!" stated Mace.

"This madness, end now, it must!" grumbled Yoda.

Some time during the argument he had summoned his crooked cane and now used it to strike Windu in the shins. The look on the Jedi Master's face was priceless.

"Stand down, you will, Master Windu!" the irritation the Grandmaster felt towards his much younger colleague was plain to see. "The future shrouded in darkness is. Torn asunder by paranoia we must not be! Master Windu! Suspended your position it is! The Jedi Council your actions will judge!" Yoda's tone of voice brook no argument.

The Vaapad master glared at the tiny Jedi but managed to reign in his fury.

"He is a Sith! Our ancient enemy! How long must we wait for him to act against us?" pleaded Windu.

"Has Veil done anything to warrant such animosity, Master Windu?" asked Kenobi with exasperation in his voice.

"The Confederacy and the Sith leading it, our enemies are. Delkatar Veil that man is not. Today too much death we saw. More bloodshed your actions would have caused, Master Windu," Yoda pointed his cane Delkatar's way. "Shown hostility towards the Jedi, he has not."

The Grandmaster of the Jedi Order glared at Mace. "Master Windu! When the current crisis over is, explain your actions to us all you will!"

Obi-Wan allowed himself to relax a bit for the first time since he first sensed the disturbance in the Force that heralded the attacks on Coruscant. He could sense the same being true for both Jedi and clones. Even the aura of danger surrounding Veil had subdued a bit. That had been much too close for comfort.

Kenobi knew that the consequences of Windu's stunt would be grave, though he was mentally thanking the Force that the worse did not come to pass.

"Master Yoda, I hope that at least Dooku remains in custody?" Veil asked almost innocently but Obi-Wan could see that the question was anything but.

Yoda looked at Mace Windu with interest and soon everyone who was not too busy tending to the wounded turned their heads towards the Jedi Master who looked uncomfortable with the attention. Obi-Wan had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.


	10. Chapter 10

****AN: This story was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum: Chunq and ********Raziel Tepes******** ! Thank you for the great work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Interlude 1: A vision of a possible future**

**Location: Base camp "Secura", Imperial Jungle training grounds, Felucia; 12 years post-Yuuzhan Vong Invasion.**

He was once known only as a designation: CC-2224, but those times were long past. For decades, he'd proudly carried the name he had chosen for himself.

Cody's upper lip twitched with amusement as he watched an uncomfortable looking reporter trying to sit calmly across his desk. He was familiar with her, the "black sheep" from a family he considered friends. She was creating a series of holovids about the conflict that shaped the galaxy as it was today: the Clone Wars.

He took a sip from a steaming cup of Caf, and gave a brief nod to a small tray covered with refreshments, prepared by his frighteningly efficient aide. "Help yourself, Miss Solo. When you manage to calm your nerves, you can begin with your questions."

She flushed.

"Before you ask, no, I am not nearly as bad as your father claims me to be. How's the old pirate, anyway?" the veteran wondered aloud.

"He's fine, General!" exclaimed the girl. "My father sends his regards."

"I really doubt that he used exactly those words, Miss Solo, but we digress. You wanted to know about the Clone Wars from someone who had been in that conflict since its beginning. So ask away," said the aging man.

She took a deep breath, before asking her first question.

"General Cody, you are one of the few remaining first-generation clones. Please, tell us how you view the purpose you were created for?"

"This again," he grumbled. It was the same question that was asked every time by the post-Clone War generation, as if he and his brothers hadn't given them the same answer again, and again, and again. He deigned to answer anyways. "My brothers and I were given our purpose from 'birth'. We were proud to have been soldiers of the Republic. We were content.

"Being excellent soldiers made us happy," he smiled broadly. "As you can see, that's something I still enjoy." Even though he wasn't too pleased with his current assignment. He had lost a game of Pazaak with Rex and Veers, which dumped him here for two months. They were overseeing the training of Armored divisions on Corellia, while he was stuck on an unpleasant jungle planet, trying to impress his hard won knowledge about warfare upon ungrateful green recruits.

"The clones have always been, and always will be, proud to be reliable and professional, the very best at our jobs. At the time of the Clone Wars, we had no complaints… Our attitudes changed when the General revealed the mental conditioning that we were unknowingly subjected to, and the expiration date that was placed on our lives by Palpatine."

She glanced at the notes on her wrist mounted computer. "I'm sorry to interrupt, the 'General' is none other than Lord Delkatar Veil, correct?"

Cody nodded with a wan smile.

"Correct. For those of us, who fought with him in the Clone Wars, he'll always be 'General'. But you didn't come all this way to talk about him, you could have met him back at the capitol."

"I'm sorry, I only asked for the sake of our audience who may not be aware of who the 'General' was. Back on topic, speaking of Palpatine, what are your thoughts on Order 66 and the fate of the Old Jedi Order? Your part in those events, as well as those of your friend General Rex, is a controversial topic."

Cody stared at his desk for long minutes. Finally, he raised his head and looked calmly at her. "This is a loaded question, Miss Solo. My brothers and I have a complex relationship with the Jedi."

"Well, your friend did marry a Jedi, after the war. It doesn't get more complicated than that."

Cody snorted with amusement at the thought of Rex and his wife. "Yes, Rex and his wife are a funny complication." Lucky bastard, they were together on Corellia, he with his assignment, and she helping with the reconstruction of the Green Temple.

"Now, in order to give you a comprehensive answer to Order 66, you need to know a lot of the background leading to the final weeks of the war. The seeds of that disaster were sown long before the creation of the Galactic Army of the Republic. Palpatine had it planned for a very long time. I shudder to think what would have happened to us all if it was not for the sweeping changes caused by the General's entry into the war." Cody paused for a moment to take another sip of his beverage.

"Order 66: one of the many contingencies we were taught to memorize and obey since the cradle. The exact details are public record nowadays, so I don't need to recite it. The very broad gist of it was that in an event that the Jedi turned against the Republic, we were to respond with lethal force. No prisoners were to be taken."

"But, obeying such orders..." muttered Solo.

Cody shrugged.

"The General once said something about things like this. It all depends on who won. We won, so our troops are guilty at worst of a few 'regrettable actions' needed to expedite the end of the war, saving lives. If we lost, well…" He shrugged again.

"As you know, the GAR units apprehended their Jedi commanders, but many of them refused to gun down their prisoners without a very good reason They disobeyed direct orders, which was only possible because of the additional protocols added after that mess on Coruscant. The first one, I mean."

"You're referring to the assault on the Jedi Temple in the opening months of the war." She, as well as anyone who studies history, knew what the general was talking about.

"That's right. At the time I had just finished my training and received promotion to Clone Marshal. I was on board The Negotiator, General Kenobi's first flagship, when the attacks occurred. We arrived on Coruscant soon after they began."

Cody stared through the young woman, remembering the past.

"It was a kriffing mess. The Senate under enemy control with most of the governing body inside, attacks with Blue Shadow on a spaceport, two military bases, as well as GAR High Command, and of course, the event that changed the outcome of Order 66."

"You know, until that day, I didn't believe that a contingency plan like Order 66 was necessary, especially after the time I served under General Kenobi. Within days of talking with him, I knew that if the rest of the Jedi were anything like Kenobi, there was no way in the Nine Corellian hells that the Order would ever betray the Republic," Cody took a deep breath and smiled sadly. "Now we all know that what I believed was naive."

"Given the circumstances, the General was the acting Supreme Commander of all Republic forces. What Windu, " Cody spat the name, "tried to do that day was the catalyst for what was to come. I remember that moment clearly even today, more than six decades later."

"I was on board one of several Lartys, along with most of the Negotiator's ground troop compliment, flying towards the Senate building to help establish the cordon around it. We knew virtually nothing about what was happening at the time, except that at least a few hundred commando droids had taken residence in there. I was rechecking the plans, thinking on how to storm the damn building if it came to that, when one of the men I had left to monitor the situation in the Jedi Temple got my attention."

"Windu was attempting to arrest The General on trumped up charges. There were about twenty five of my brothers ready to protect him, against scores of Jedi. We all know how powerful the General is nowadays, but facing so many Jedi all at once?! It made me angry and desperate. There we were, under attack, with the Senate as hostages or worse, and that Windu was losing it." The old general shook his head in exasperation.

"By then we knew that the Jedi were nothing like the near divine beings from the stories that were told around the galaxy. We fought and died with them, mostly died in those awful first months. I know that it isn't fair to place all the blame for their blunders on their shoulders. Both the Chancellor and the Senate wanted them as generals and commanders, despite the fact that they had no military training whatsoever. Although, command came naturally to some and they became splendid leaders, people like Kenobi and Skywalker, those we were proud to serve under."

"What about the then general Veil?"

Cody chuckled, good-naturedly at the question.

"You can hardly argue that he lacked training. Hell, The General was the most experienced military leader in the whole war, and in the conflicts that followed. Granted, he did make his share of mistakes, but none of them were born of inexperience."

"Where was I? Ah, the 'incident' at the Temple. It delivered a severe blow to our confidence in the Jedi. If ever there were a more clean-cut situation for implementing Order 66, I am not aware of it. Generals Kenobi and Yoda managed to defuse the situation, but the damage was already done. We would never trust the Jedi like we did before. That day in the Temple set the stage for everything that followed, at least as far as the Old Jedi Order is concerned."

"We didn't know it then, but those were the days when the future of us clones was decided. Almost nobody thought that the Clones were an army of what amounted to slaves. We definitely didn't see ourselves as such, our mental conditioning at the hands of the Kaminoans was that good. That brings us to the greatest betrayal to my brothers and I."

Solo looked grimly at the General and nodded for him to continue. That was a scandal that by itself almost shattered the Republic.

"Our lifespan. We were bred for the war and expected to quietly croak afterwards, unless we were given a gene treatment to let us age like normal people. Heh. The General put that to shame."

"The Ashara Option," said Solo.

"Yes. A few geniuses under his payroll produced a treatment that not only works for us clones, but for most near human species out there. It nearly doubled a man's natural lifespan. It's the reason why I am looking so good, despite the hair." he joked.

"But back to the Purge," interjected the journalist.

"Right. The only thing that stopped us from following Order 66 when it was issued were contradictory orders given by General Veil. Intead of executing them, he wanted us to attempt to apprehend the Jedi in the event of Order 66."

"Just as you did, by placing General Kenobi under arrest on Mandalor," she said. The young Solo frowned at Cody and began again. "But, that doesn't change the facts. In the last week of the war, you led your Fifth Sky Corps along with Rex's 501st against the Jedi Temple."

"The one event that made me infamous across the galaxy." Cody declared. His expression became sad as he remembered. "We had a real chance for peace. If it wasn't for the hardliners amongst the Jedi Order, not only would the Clone Wars have ended before one of the bloodiest battles of the whole conflict could take place, but the next war could have been averted. Not to mention that without the actions of the Jedi, the Republic might have remained mostly whole."

Solo interrupted again. "Even now, the purge of the Jedi Temple and the later manhunt that wiped out the remains of the OJO are one of the most controversial subjects in the galaxy."

"That it is. We believed with Palpatine gone, the ceasefire with the CIS was about to be forged into permanent peace. But we all know how that ended. At the time, very few Senators were fit for duty, so for all intents and purposes the General was the government."

"Despite what his detractors claim, the General was convinced by both his wife and Senator Amidala to give the Republic one last chance to reform itself. He had even announced a date for general elections so the Senate could start working again so it can clean up its mess!"

"But what did the Jedi do?!" Cody struck his desk with a fist. "Those fools tried to stage a coup! You've seen the recordings. They decided that the General had corrupted the remaining Senators, and the higher echelons of GAR, and tried to take us out. You know who those traitors allied themselves with! They gave us no choice!"

"Yes, this is the version of the events that most of the galaxy accepted after all evidence was brought to light." interjected Solo.

"Then, that led to the battle of Corellia, where the Green Temple was taken out from orbit. While General Veil was commanding what was to become the last battle of the war, we were sent to subdue the Jedi at the Temple on Coruscant. We were led by people who had left the Order and tried their best to minimize the loss of life. You know how that ended... It was the last chapter of the Clone Wars, but it led to another civil war a year later." Cody trailed off and closed his eyes.

**=RK=**

**LAAT crash site, near the Senate Building, Coruscant; The present**

The first thing Cody felt was dull pain across his whole body. He cracked his eyes open and carefully looked around. Someone's hand was covering most of his visor, but he was able to see his surroundings: the troop compartment of a LAAT, buried under a pile of silent clone troopers. He shook his head, clearing it from the strange, vision-like dream, and concentrated on the task at hand – getting himself and his men out of the crashed gunship.

He heard something arrive outside, so he grabbed the butt of a blaster on the back of an unconscious soldier, switched off the safety, and pointed it at the side door.

"Do you think they made it?" asked a familiar voice, identical to Cody's own.

"Don't be ridiculous. As if something as minor as this can do in the commander. Let's get the boss out of there."

The drone of approaching an LAAT drowned out the conversation. Cody lowered the gun and tried carefully to extract himself from the tangle of limbs. As a result, several of his men awoke with loud groans.

The door was forced open to the sound of tortured metal, then a clone glanced inside. "The commander is alive and conscious, but we have wounded in here. Bring the medics forward."

"Well done, sergeant. What took out the Larty?" asked Cody.

"A sniper, sir. After we deployed our own she's been keeping her head down," answered the clone.

Cody's comms hissed to life."This is General Veil. Give me a sit-rep on the situation at the Senate."

He tried to pull out his left hand, where the device was located but was unable to do so. His limb refused to obey, and he felt acute pain from it.

'This is getting better and better,' he thought.

**Phase 10: Hostage Crisis**

**=RK=**

**Part 1**

**East Ballroom, Senate Building, Coruscant**

Anakin had dealt with almost two thirds of the charges, when an angry Bane called one of his minions. The precise manipulation needed to disarm the bombs, combined with the novel way of connecting with the Force, had taken its toll on the young Jedi.

Then his time ran out.

Something happened that had caused Bane lose his patience. He could hear it in the voice carrying from a comm, mounted on the right forearm of a weequay mercenary.

"Turloq, round up a few Senators," Bane addressed a merc. "We'll make an example of them in front of the cameras and show it to the Republic. We have more than enough of the fat bastards as bargain chips," grunted Bane. "Also bring that girl from Naboo. She's one of the more popular ones. If they don't meet our demands, she'll be next."

"Yes, boss! Right away!" Turloq responded.

After speaking with Bane, the cutthroat gave Skywalker a wary look. The fire in the Jedi's eyes made the merc take an involuntary step back. That look promised him a slow and painful end. He shuddered. There was a growing sense of danger in the room. The hostages felt it too, and became uneasy. Well, more than they already were given their situation.

The rest of Bane's men present in the room looked around carefully, as if searching for invisible danger. Only the droids remained stoic.

Turloq stared at the Jedi. Something wasn't right. He felt like he was in the presence of an apex predator, hungry for his flesh.

The mercenaries looked at each other. One of them, a disgruntled Trandoshan, grinned, showing an impressive array of needle sharp teeth. It was unclear whether he was braver than his companions, or just plain dumber.

"You heard the boss, boys," grunted the voice of the oversized lizard. "Uh, which was the female Bane wanted?" He asked after glancing in the direction of the Senators, where Mon Mothma and two other women had gathered around Amidala.

Turloq wasn't thinking straight. He pointed at the correct Senator. Too late, he figured out that doing so was a mistake. The last one that he'd ever make.

The Jedi gave him a disturbing smile.

**=RK=**

Anakin's body had frozen rigid the moment he heard Bane's words. On the outside, everything but his eyes was a mask of serenity. Inside however, it was another story. The passion with which Skywalker was channeling the Force was going wild.

Pure rage seathed deep within the Jedi, like a raging sea. 'Make an example of my Padme?!'. The single thought ran rampant through his mind, putting everything else on the back-burner. He won't allow it! None of these wretched fools would lay a finger on her!

But, he didn't have a lightsaber. What would happen to Padme if he were cut down by blaster fire? His fears, and his anger… They strengthened him.

The look in Anakin's eyes became cold and harder than durasteel. If there were someone present with the ability to see, one could watch as the Force itself pulsed angrily around him, his emotions made manifest.

For the young Jedi, it felt strange; similar to what happened at the Tusken camp where his mother died. He was aware of the darkness surrounding him, of the anger feeding it, but this time he didn't go into a mindless rage.

He could feel Padme standing behind him. She blazed like a beacon in the darkness threatening to engulf his mind. She was the anchor that let him retain control in the face of the emotions to which he had fallen prey to once before.

The Dark Side. It offered him the power to save Padme. He only had to let go of his control, and drink deeply from its tainted well.

Anakin struggled with his passions, the emotions he was taught to ignore ever since he joined the Jedi Order. He was supposed to lock them down and throw them away, as if they were something worthless, that he should be ashamed of. In that regard, he was a terrible Jedi, but he didn't care.

His wife, the woman he loved more than life itself was right there, next to him, in mortal danger. The same wife he was prohibited to marry, just as he was forbidden to love. But that wasn't something he would ever accept. Padme was his light, one of the few things that made his life worth living.

So he decided. Or perhaps Skywalker only acknowledged the choice he had made, when he heeded an advice by a man from the past.

When one of the mercenaries pointed straight at his Padme, he smiled grimly at the man. Anakin's mind was made up, and for the first time in ages it was clear.

Skywalker decided to stop hiding and acknowledge the truth. His fellow Jedi would do whatever they believed to be right, and he would do the same. There was no longer a doubt in his mind where his future lied. Next to his wife.

Anakin felt the Force shift. The Dark Side was surrounding him like a warm cloak, whispering seduction he no longer paid attention to. Instead of letting go of his control, he grabbed at it with all his will. A tremor went through the Force when he consciously commanded the Dark Side for the first time. The power he felt was incredible, tempting. But he fought to keep his mind clear.

"I will not lose control again!" he snarled so quietly that no one heard him.

The raging sea within his heart roared to life again. This was only the second time he had ever felt this. This time, Anakin was the one ruling his emotions.

Skywalker surged to his feet and the Force rose with him.

Turloq was the first to feel the Force unleashed. He felt an almighty fist snap his bones, a sensation that might have been pain, and finally nothing as his body crunched against a wall.

The people stood bewildered, as the droids raised their weapons at the clustered Senators.

The Republic's governing body was terrified by the oppressive feeling of doom, and furious with General Skywalker for risking their lives, and yet hopeful for rescue. Senator Amidala simply trusted Anakin.

Skywalker knew nothing of their thoughts. In that instant, his mind was in overdrive. He was channeling an immense amount of the Force, and knew that if his plan didn't work they were likely dead. Thanks to Veil's suggestions, Anakin had more power at the tips of his fingers than ever, but was untrained in its use. He'd be exhausted soon, so he wasted no time and acted.

The mercs and droids were slammed by powerful telekinetic waves. While the machines were sturdy enough to remain mostly intact, the men pulped against the walls.

Anakin groaned as he drew even more of the Force to himself.

He threw a barrier of Force energies between the hostages and the remaining active explosives. He was just in time. Debris wildly scattered through the laser trip wires attached to the bombs.

The world ended in light and thunder. Skywalker screamed when his barrier was hit by the focused power of thirty two shaped charges. The explosion was far greater than the one he had shielded against on Aayla Secura's flagship. Anakin would be dead without his new strength.

He was able to stop the blossoming explosions. Mostly. His shield buckled and was partially breached in the few places where blasts from multiple charges met. Pieces of molten shrapnel and a few thin geysers of flames spurted through his barrier. Some Senators screamed and fell to the ground, scythed down by unlucky hits.

Anakin shouted in denial when something hit the left side of Padme's face, and she fell to the ground with a spray of blood. He saw red, and the Force itself screamed as if sharing the agony slashing his heart.

**=RK=**

**Chancellor Office, Senate Building, Coruscant**

Palpatine was in his comfortable seat, with his hands crossed over his desk. He looked calm, a testament to his skills as a politician. The Sith Master plan, the conclusion to which generations of his kind had worked towards, was falling apart. If he were not furious, he would have found it amusing. Here he was, while his grand design, which was build upon the plans made by his predecessors, was being obliterated by a single man who had appeared from nowhere.

With Dooku and Grievous temporarily out of the picture, very few knew that Darth Sidious was the real leader of the CIS. None of them were aware of his identity as Palpatine, which was turning out to be troublesome.

The Chancellor scowled at the wall of his sealed inner sanctum. Outside, a bunch of droids and some bounty hunters were trying to breach the entrance. The Sith smirked. While he was loath to show his true abilities, a bit of subtle manipulation with the Force, and all the efforts of those fools were for naught. He drove the insects clawing at his door out of his mind, and thought about how he could salvage something of this mess. With his two most important pawns within the CIS out of the picture, Palpatine's plans were unraveling at the seams.

The last thing he heard before all comms were jammed, was that those fools had used the Blue Shadow on Coruscant. The City-planet was the worst possible place for such a virus to be unleashed, but the number of casualties was not important. What mattered was how the war was going to escalate. Oh, that would give a myriad of opportunities for someone as devious as him, but it would at the same time sow too much chaos in the conflict.

Sidious always knew that despite being in charge of both sides, he wouldn't be able to control everything, even before these new complications were added to the mix. The future was uncertain for even someone like him.

Sidious relaxed and let his senses wander. He felt Skywalker diving deep within the Force and using his passions. The Chancellor smiled. At least on that front, his plans were going strong. It was good that the Jedi of this day and age did not know how to handle a young boy. They were the ones who sowed the seeds of Skywalker's eventual fall, Palpatine merely nurtured those thorny vines, like a patient gardener.

Then his attention carefully drifted towards the Jedi Temple where he could sense men and women dieing. Splendid! The raid to release Dooku was underway!

It was all he could do not to cackle madly! The plan of that attack was straight from the legends of Dart Magnus, the man who pillaged that damn Temple many years ago.

Sidious sat contentedly, drinking the wine that was the essence of Jedi suffering when a wave of darkness like no other he had ever felt exploded from the Temple!

He jumped from his seat and started pacing. What was this?! It felt powerful, familiar.

Sidious closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He concentrated on the cause of the Dark side maelstrom, centered upon the Jedi Temple. He had to fight his way through the layers of shadows that blocked his sight, until he was able to glimpse the source of the Dark Side energies drowning the Jedi Temple.

To his total lack of surprise it was Delkatar Veil. But, of course! That man had to be in the center of his problems. He looked more carefully and frowned before the shadows gathered around the man and his sight was occluded again.

However, what he felt in the last moment before his observation was interrupted, was something quite shocking! That man was not merely an exceptionally powerful and talented Dark Jedi. On the contrary. Sidious was certain of it. He knew one of his kind when he really looked at him. Delkatar Veil was a Sith!

For one of handful moments in his life, Palpatine was truly confused. This was a development he had not planned for.

For a thousand years there were only two Sith, no more and no less. Today, those two were himself and Darth Tyranus. That was all!

Sidious had kept a close eye on his apprentice in order to avoid such a thing! He was reasonably sure that Dooku had not been the one to train Veil. Did the man find an ancient Sith Holocron? It was the most plausible explanation he could think of, and if it were true, then this new element was an unknown. That was dangerous, especially to a man such as Sidious who was accustomed to near omniscience.

Palpatine sat down, and pondered his options. The best outcome was that the attack on the Senate removed many of the senators, preferably those who were opposed to him, such as Skywalker's wife, he thought with distaste. True Sith were beyond such weakness.

At least the troublesome girl would prove a splendid tool for turning Skywalker to the Dark Side, she and the Jedi in their blindness. Thanks to Skywalker's "secret" marriage, he would soon be alone, and paranoid about anyone learning the truth. Once he was in such a state, the boy would be in a deliciously vulnerable position. Perfectly ripe for conversion.

But what to do about Veil? The younger man was powerful, there was no doubt about it. He had obviously learned a few tricks about disguising his true nature, just as Sidious had. However, the real danger was the shadow thrown through the currents of the Force. Somehow, Veil, and Sidious had no doubt that was him, had robbed the Dark Lord of the Sith of his insight into the future. While a sign of admirable amount of skill and power, this was not something that could be borne in the long term. One way or another, Veil had to be dealt with.

Palpatine wondered: with Dooku losing an arm, this was a good time to go searching for another apprentice. Perhaps one day, he could have Skywalker and Veil fight for that honor. To the death, of course!

Palpatine's eyes widened and he bolted up. He was nearly deafened when the Force itself screamed in pain!

**=RK=**

**Part 2**

**LAAT Gunship, on route to the Senate Building, Coruscant**

I was resigned to the fact that the Jedi would be a major thorn in my side. Yoda slapped Windu down, but there were a lot of Knights and Padawans in the Great Hall that shared his sentiments. Their numbers were less than half of those still standing, and yet that was too many considering that I just fought a battle to help them.

I was going to give Yoda and Kenobi, as well as the moderate faction amongst the Jedi, a chance to clean up their mess before taking action. Unless I was provoked again. My patience for hostile elements of the Order was running thin.

At least I was able to send the Chiss woman I saved back to the Requiem. I expected her to be out for a few days. The healing I performed would have taken a lot of her.

I glanced to Ahsoka, who was riding in the same LAAT as me. The distraught padawan had a glum expression on her face. Yoda and Obi-Wan, while supportive of her attempts to dissuade Windu from making the biggest mistake in his life, were not too pleased with how she went about it. A padawan, shouting down council members was apparently a big no-no. At least they were not expelling her. Yet.

Perhaps it was because Windu had admitted that Dooku had managed to escape, and instead of going after him, the Vaapad master decided that I was the real threat. The looks that Yoda and Kenobi gave him were priceless, and now immortalized on holovid.

If the some of the Jedi were not turning against me, it would have been easier for me to admit that they had a very good case. Especially Mace. What happened in the Temple was a delicious irony, one which would warm my heart for a long time. After all, The Grandmaster of the Jedi Order himself, had supported me against my most vocal Jedi opponent. I did not have to do a thing to manipulate the little green fella either.

To be fair, I am a Sith, whose long term plans would see the Jedi Order in its current form dismantled. I had not decided what to do about the Republic in the long term, but it was a very real possibility that it would not serve my purposes, and would have to go. Time would tell what I would need to do.

I smirked. The Jedi were incredibly lucky that some other Sith was not thrown in this time. If another of my kind was propelled forward in time, and they had actual mastery over concealing their true motives with the Force, it would have been trivially easy to infiltrate the Republic military and subvert it from within. Hell, it's what I did, but I was able to control my grudge against the Jedi Order. I was not going to destroy them unless they gave me a very good reason to do so... Windu almost did.

I stared through the sealed door of the transport with unseeing eyes. My mind had drifted elsewhere. The Jedi may never know what a bullet they dodged.

Darth Vael, the Sith, whose memories and powers I had. If he woke up in the past without me, he would have given them no mercy.

The part of me that came from Darth Vael was baying for their blood. What happened a few short minutes ago was a powerful reminder that the Jedi Order as it existed today, and my kind, could not co-exist in the long term. Not unless their world view changed dramatically, but I was not sure that even Yoda's power within their organization was strong enough to force such a thing. I had to step up my plans where the Jedi were concerned, and I had to find a way to persuade the people I found worthy of conversion, away from the deeply flawed teachings of the Order.

But all that had to wait. Dealing with the mess of epic proportions at the Senate came first, and with the fallout of the CIS stunt a close second. I looked at Tano and smiled at her.

"Ahsoka, thank you for standing up for me back in the Temple," I gave her a seated bow. "Without your passionate words, Windu might have done something that we all would regret."

"Ah..." she stammered, and blushed at my praise. "You're welcome, Delkatar."

I stared at her. Nope! Nuh-huh. I was not going there! What is with teenage girls and dark, mysterious strangers, anyway!?

'Concentrate on the situation at hand!' I ordered myself. Right. The Senate.

I activated my comm link and spoke into it. "This is General Veil. Give me a sit-rep of the situation at the Senate." I ordered.

A clone answered me few seconds later. "General, we've established perimeter around the building sir. Our observation teams could see groups of commando droids patrolling the outer halls of the Senate. "

"Has clone marshal commander Cody arrived and taken command?" I asked. Kenobi told me that he had dispatched his soldiers to handle the Senate.

"Negative, sir. His transport was shot down."

Da fuq?

"How did he manage that?" I asked incredulously. I had to remind myself that this was an especially unpleasant day, so I should not be surprised by such stuff happening.

"His LAAT was disabled by a sniper before crashing. A rescue party has been sent, and should be there any minute now."

I shook my head. I had to check the LAAT's specs. Those things were supposed to be tougher than that! The LAATs were able to make orbit to ground assaults if needed. The sniper rifle used to down Cody's transport might be something special, in which case I would love to get my hands on it. Or perhaps, that particular gunship was not built according to specs. If someone was neglecting or sabotaging my troops' gear, I would have to look into it. I disliked the idea of dying to shoddy construction.

I was not dumb enough to say that the things can't possibly become worse! Either way the universe decided to prove that point. I was less than a minute from the perimeter around the Senate, when I heard the Force itself scream. Moments later I could feel Anakin's anguish through my bond with Ahsoka.

Pain, denial and surging fury. That was an explosive combination, especially for someone who was not trained to deal with this emotions.

"Master!" exclaimed Ahsoka, who was feeling the full brunt of his raging passions.

That boy was about to lose himself. Having Skywalker go on a rampage in the heart of the Senate was not something that flowed well with my plans. If the worst had happened and he really went off the deep end, I would find a way to use it to my advantage, but I preferred to avoid such a thing happening.

I called up the plans my clones were working on, and frowned. We did not have information about the enemy composition beyond the commando droids. Their numbers and locations were unknown. We did not know where the hostages were being held either, except Padme who was obviously at Anakin's location on the east side of the building.

This was going to be ugly, but I did not see a good alternative. If Skywalker lost it, the CIS agents were liable to overreact and start killing hostages.

"All units, we are going in. Eliminate enemy forces holding the Senate and locate the where the hostages are being held. If practical rescue them, otherwise contain the areas where they are being held. Do not forget to keep your eyes open for ambushes and traps. Go! Go! Go!"

I ordered my pilot towards the East side of the building as fast as possible. The whine of the LAAT's engine increased and it darted towards the Senate.

**=RK=**

**East Ballroom, Senate Building, Coruscant**

The instant the shock-waves from the exploding charges dispersed, Anakin dropped his exhausted shield. The droids he had thrown at the walls were getting up, and more than a few still held blasters.

Skywalker glared at the commando droids and gave them all a taste of what he felt at that moment. All his fear and anger, he used them as fuel to draw even more from the Force.

The building itself groaned as deep rents appeared in the metal floor and walls. Droids were torn asunder by invisible scythes, while others were simply wrenched into pieces by giant invisible hands.

Within seconds only the living remained in the Ballroom.

Anakin glared at his work and smiled thinly. The Jedi's blue eyes showed a hint of yellow.

Then, Skywalker was on his knees panting. He could feel the Force slipping out of his grasp. When he tried to hold on to it, Anakin found out that he no longer had the strength to do so.

He had pushed himself beyond his limits and was paying the price. The exhausted man crawled next to his downed wife and Senator Mon Mothma who was kneeling next to her, checking her wounds.

"Padme!" he slurred the words. Anakin could feel that she was still alive, but that was all. His eyes rolled within their sockets and he collapsed next to Amidala.

The wounded Ben Iblis shook his head at the scene.

"Kids these days, will do anything to impress a girl." muttered the older man. He glanced at his colleagues, most of whom were milling around, half of them stunned by the display of power, while the rest were trying their best to tend to the wounded.

"Stop staring and get armed!" he bellowed at the men and women surrounding him. This short "battle" was sure to had gotten the attention of the rest of their captors, and he had no desire to be shot again while lacking anything with which to return the favor.

**=RK=**

**Senate Building's East side, Coruscant**

From this close, it was easy to feel where Anakin unleashed his power. I could sense the disturbed currents of the Force, as well as the echo of the young man's last anger fueled lash against his opponents. His collapse too.

I frowned. Skywalker needed instruction on how to handle using the Force when channeled through his passions, or he would burn himself out like he just did.

My LAAT and scores more had made their way to the Senate, and used their weapons to blast to pieces any CIS droids that dared show their heads anywhere close to us. Then the transports started unloading troopers on the buildings, or flew next to windows which were shattered by weapon's fire.

We used the latter method to enter an empty office. I led Ahsoka and two squads of clones deeper in the building after using my lightsaber to carve through sealed doors.

A few droids tried and failed to slow us down.

We found ourselves at the entrance of a modest sized ballroom (by Coruscant's standards anyway), where I could feel Skywalker's presence.

I raised an eyebrow at the scene that greeted us. The farthest side of the room was blackened, with the walls mostly missing and revealing obliterated rooms. Closer to the entrance, the ground was littered with the gruesome remains of mercenaries, as well as heaps of droid scrap. There were large gashes in both the floor and ceiling.

The Senators were in the center of the room. Some of them were holding blasters, which were pointed our way.

I could see wounded people on the floor behind t. I recognized two of them: Skywalker and his wife, both of them unconscious. Anakin looked healthy, so I thought that he was simply exhausted from whatever stunt he had pulled out.

Next to him was Padme, whose head was placed carefully on the lap of a woman who was about her age. I could see the left side of Amidala's face from my position, and I winced at the sight. It's lower part was a burned, bloody ruin. I wouldn't be surprise if her jaw was shattered.

I returned my attention at the Senators, a few of whom were still pointing their guns our way. Civilians...

"We are here to help. Kindly lower your blasters so we can avoid accidents." I spoke firmly but gently. There was no need to freak them any more than they already were.

"Ahsoka, see to your master and Senator Amidala," I told the young Togruta. She held back because two Senators, a human and one from an insectoid race I've never seen before, were still pointing weapons at us.

I snatched their guns from their clutches using the Force and chided them. They jumped back, obviously frightened.

"None of that, gentlemen. We are here to help," I turned towards the clone sergeant in charge of the troopers with us. "Call in a for a medical evacuation," I nodded at the wounded, "and provide what first aid you can."

The man saluted me and started snapping orders to his subordinates.

I looked at the Senators who were started to look relieved by our presence. "Can anyone tell me exactly what happened? Do you have any idea where the rest of your colleagues are being held?" I asked the politicians, while Ahsoka made her way to her master and his wife.

If I was not wiped out from the events at the Jedi Temple, I would have helped heal, or at least stabilized the wounded. Well, except Amidala, I would have helped the rest of the senators only for the positive PR. However I could not afford to use up what little strength I had remaining. Something told me that this day was far from over.

**=RK=**

**Part 3**

**East Ballroom, Senate Building, Coruscant**

I sort of liked Senator Bel Iblis. One tough fella, who didn't let being shot in the gut to slow him down much.

Damn lucky too, a credit to his homeworld of Corellia. A few centimeters to the left or right, and the wound would have killed him before we arrived. As it was, he had to be forcibly convinced to lie down so a clone medic could begin treatment.

Despite being wounded, Bel Iblis was the one who was able to give me the most coherent account of what occurred. The Senators in the room had been gathered to personally discuss the hearing regarding Naboo with Amidala just before all hell broke loose.

After receiving his account of the events, I let the medics deal with the grumpy Corellian. I still had to reassure the Senators that they would be escorted to safety shortly, then went to check on Skywalker and his wife.

"How's Senator Amidala?" I asked the clone treating her.

"Shattered jaw, concussion, multiple fractured vertebrae and she'll have some impressive scarring, but otherwise fine."

Well, _damn_. I suppose that she still lucked out, considering that whatever hit her didn't inflict life-threatening levels of damage.

From the corner of my eyes I saw Ahsoka wincing as she heard the full extent of Amidala's injuries. I glanced at Skywalker who looked oddly peaceful while unconscious. He certainly wouldn't be thrilled about what happened to his wife.

When he awoke I should be around to run damage control. Can't have him completely losing it right now. Too many other crises that still needed to be dealt with.

"Padawan Tano, you are in charge here. Remain with the Senators until reinforcements arrive and ensure they are safely evacuated." I ordered.

I gave a nod to Ahsoka who shook her head, as if to clear it out of extraneous thoughts.

"Ah, yes. I'll do it!" she exclaimed.

I headed for the Senate's main chambers, where all of the debates and voting occurred. On my way there I met a short platoon of clones who were exchanging heavy fire with commando droids and mercenaries.

The CIS contingent were barricaded at the end of the corridor. While a frontal attack with me deflecting the enemy fire had a reasonable chance of success, I had another idea.

"Lieutenant, I want a heavy weapons squad with me, equipped with breaching charges. Just draw their attention for a bit," I pointed at the enemies who were trying their best to blast us to pieces, "and we'll flank them."

"Yes, sir!" the man answered. "Beta section, you're with the General!" he ordered.

Four clones, who were carrying heavy blasters and a repeater cannon perked up noticeably at that.

I led them past a side door and went to cut through the walls with my lightsaber. It took me several minutes to literally carve a new route to the flank of the CIS agents.

We found ourselves into a deserted office, which had a wall anchoring the enemy's choke point. I nodded at one clone, who had a backpack filled with multiple varieties of explosive goodness, and pointed at the relatively thin barrier of metal separating us from the enemy. We could clearly hear them shooting from the other side.

"It'll be a pleasure, sir!" the man cheerfully exclaimed as he extracted several shaped charges.

He carefully placed a spread of high-explosive(s) on the wall in a pattern to ensure maximum devastation on the opposite side. A minute later he was finished, as we took cover in a neighboring room behind a desk we upturned with its top side facing the doorway. The demolitions expert turned his head my way, and I could feel his anticipation for the order to be given.

"Do the honors, sergeant."

He pressed a button on the computer built into his left arm-guard. In a moment the adjacent room exploded in flames, with the roar of the detonation nearly deafening us. Well, mostly me.

The clones had sound dampeners in their helmets. My own was back aboard the _Requiem_. I should have appropriated one from one the wounded troopers at the Jedi Temple. Not like they would need them for the next few days.

When the rumble of the explosion subsided, I shook my head in a futile effort to dispel the ringing in the ears while jumping over the desk. I activated my lightsaber and charged into the smoke from the explosion, with the clones just behind.

The charges turned out to be borderline overkill. The corridor behind where the wall used to be was a figurative charnel house, full of pieces both biological and mechanical; many of them no longer recognizable.

The enemy force blocking the way was simply annihilated. The blast wave had utterly **shredded **them. In the literal sense, at that.

I waved the rest of the platoon forward (those who were still at the other end of the corridor) to follow us, and we headed deeper into the complex.

That was the last major opposition we encountered on our way to the primary objective.

Several droids and the odd mercenary tried to slow us down, but they were either gunned down by the clones, taken out after I re-directed their blaster fire, or felled by the business ends of my lightsaber.

Our advance halted short twenty meters or so from the nearest entrance to the Senate's Main Hall. There we linked up with multiple additional clone squads and platoons which had fought their own way there.

We were confronted by an unarmed, smug-looking Weequay mercenary.

"Take another step forward, and we will kill the Senators!" declared the cutthroat.

I could sense that he was telling us the truth, or at least as he _believed _it to be.

"How interesting." I muttered. "Lieutenant, I want the Senate chambers sealed. Spread the word."

"What do you think you are doing?!" exclaimed the Weequay. "I told you, we'll... *argh*..." his speech was interrupted as I began squeezing his throat through the Force.

I maneuvered the choking individual through the air so we were face to face. I smiled coldly.

"Now, my new friend, you are going to tell me all about the hostages held by your band of misfits."

The mercenary was too busy futilely clawing at the intangible grip on his throat to answer.

**=RK=**

**Part 4**

**Near the Senate Main Chambers, Senate Building, Coruscant**

"You were saying?" I asked the weequay I had suspended in the air.

He was gasping, trying to get some precious air in his lungs. The merc stared at me with horrified eyes. I could see it clear as a day. It was dawning on him that I could do what I wished with him and none of the clones would lift a finger to stop me. Hell, considering the crap pulled by the CIS and their pawns the last week or so, I could probably interrogate him on live TV and a lot of people would approve. For some reason the average citizen didn't like folks who want to kill them with bio-weapons. I wonder why...

"The chambers are rigged to blow! Both HE and gas!" my reluctant informant stammered.

"Ah. So you've got chemical weaponry covered too. Do you have a nuke or two squared somewhere close?" I grumbled.

This whole situation was starting to stink. It was as if the Separatists were doing their best to become the most hated group in the galaxy. Granted, with all the bullshit they were pulling out, it was likely that my revelation as a Sith would fade into insignificance in comparison. However, it simply made no sense for Palpy to escalate the war to such an extent, even when you took into account the coup I had made with the CIS leaders. The blame could go either way. Palpatine could get his hands on even more power, or get railroaded with the most of the blame for this debacle. After all, as a Chancellor, it was ultimately his own responsibility. It did not matter if he actually had control over the situation (something I was starting to doubt) or not.

"Men, you heard the idiot. Re-check the seals of your armor and pass the word." I ordered.

I really should have taken a helmet. As a Sith, I was trained in how to deal with poison gas, so even if the chemical weapon was released I should be able to last for a few minutes even if it acted through skin contact.

While the clones made sure that they would't drop dead if the mercenaries made complete asses from themselves, I started pumping my captive for additional information. I did not have to give him a single electric jolt before he started singing. So there were commando droids covering all entrances. The senators were at the bottom of the chambers, covered by HE charges and a few gas canisters. The merc didn't know what type of weapon they contained but he was convinced that the chemical agent would kill at least two thirds of the hostages.

That was nothing to sneeze at. There were representatives from hundreds, perhaps thousands of species. There were few chemical agents that could kill them all, and those would kill the mercs too.

I looked at the closed door leading to the Senate Chambers. The prudent thing to do would be waiting. The information from the merc was not enough for an assault. The building was still being secured, and the jammers were online. Yet, that gave me the opportunity to act without interference from Palpatine.

The big question was: Did I want the senators alive? When all was said and done I did not care about the Republic beyond the way it would affect my still forming plans for the future.

I smirked. When you don't care about the hostages, that opened up a lot of avenues for negotiating.

I gave instructions to the clone lieutenant. Then I used telekinesis to haul the weequay man in front of me and walked to the sealed door. A wave of my hand, directing the Force, was all that was needed to open it. I strode in and looked around. The chamber was an exact copy of what I remembered from the movies.

There were thousands of beings gathered on the bottom levels. Over them I could see crimson laser beams crisscrossing into an intricate web over the hostages. Over that were floating four spherical droids, which had canisters attached to their chassis.

Everyone, including the droids spread to cover the multiple entrances glanced in my direction. About a hundred blasters snapped up and aimed at me, and my captive.

A woman with pale, almost snow white skin stared at me in surprise. Here head was shaven, except for a single, long ponytail. Her huge, calculating eyes were examining me carefully, behind the scope of a long-barreled sniper rifle. I wondered if she was the one who had shot down Cody's LAAT.

I looked around but was unable to see anyone else who I felt that might be in charge. I smiled to the mercenaries and their hostages. If their expressions were anything to judge by, they were disturbed by my expression. I wonder why...

I twisted sharply my left fist and the Force field suspending my captive followed suit. His neck snapped like a twig and he twitched a few times before becoming still. I let his corpse out of my grasp and it fell to the floor. Everyone's eyes followed the gruesome spectacle.

"Well, folks, is there anyone else who wants to negotiate?" I asked cheerfully. "If any one of you idiots wish to survive the next few minutes, lay down your weapons and hit the ground, face first."

Their answer was nervous laughter and incredulous stares from the Senators. I had the nagging feeling that they were not taking me seriously. What a pity.

The woman nodded to one of her henchmen and he turned around. His blaster snapped a shot and a Zabrak wearing expensive robes crumpled on the floor with most of his face missing. The mercenary who executed the senator smirked at the hostages, before I focused my attention on him for a single moment. His weapons slipped from his fingers. He grabbed his throat and fell to his knees chocking as blood flooded his shattered trachea.

"That was a foolish thing to do, girl," I addressed the apparent mercenary leader. "How do you think you'll get out of here? Trade Senators for a secure transport off world?" I sneered.

Oh, I was aware that without my presence it may have worked. Splendidly at that. However, the CIS pawns in front of me were out of luck. I did not feel like making deals with what amounted to state-sponsored terrorists.

The white skinned woman was glaring daggers at me. I was sure that if the looks could kill I would be dying slowly after she had shot off some very important equipment.

"I have nearly ten thousand Senators at my mercy!" she declared in a grave voice. Under other circumstances I could have found it even pleasant, but I could hear the traces of doubt in her tone. She was confused, almost afraid. I guess, she had never expected to "negotiate" with someone who did not care for the hostages' lives. Too bad for her.

"So?" I deadpanned.

The mercs just stared at me. Obviously things were not going according to their plans.

"You fools used bio weapons on Coruscant. There is no way in the Nine Corellian Hells, that any one off you is leaving this building in something other than chains or body bags." I declared.

The Senators gasped at my little revelation. It was no surprise that they were not aware that however inefficiently, Blue Shadow was deployed on the planet. I could sense anger rising in a lot of the captives, hastily overwhelming their fear. Huh. May be not all of them were a lost cause.

The woman pointed at the droids floating over the hostages.

"A press of a button and they all die!" she declared boldly. "You will meet our demands!"

"No. By the way you have one minute left." I said in a bored tone.

My attention was on the droids floating over the hostages. I did not like what I sensed.

She stared in my eyes. The cold, dead gaze of a Sith met hers. She gulped.

"You are insane!" she spat. "We'll kill them all if we have to!"

I tilted my head to the right, barely restraining my amusement. I drank the fear of both mercenaries and hostages. It tasted like a well seasoned, sweet wine. Its been a long time since I felt something like that. The Dark Side was stirring around me, pleased by the fuel that it was feeding it.

"And you are a fool!" I declared. "Most of the honorable Senators were dead men and women from the moment you took them as hostages!"

Said dead men walking stared at me as if I had grown a second head.

"Do you think that your Separatist masters planned to let any one of them, or you for that matter, get out of here alive?! The best outcome for the Confederation from today's debacle is if the Senators are decimated! Why do you think they sent so many commando droids to this excursion?" I nodded at one of the said robots, which was studying me dispassionately.

Few of the mercenaries gave speculative glances to their "allies". The woman was glancing between me and the droids. But most telling were the expressions on may Senator's faces. They were experienced political animals, who were keenly aware what would happen to the Republic if most of them were suddenly killed. Many of them were in shades that were the equivalent of 'deadly pale' for a human, with some looking in confusion at their esteemed colleagues.

The woman's glare intensified.

"You'll be lynched if these fools die on your watch!" she pointed at the hostages.

"It will be nothing compared to the fury I'll face when the Republic Citizens understand that every one of them, and their future representatives are turned into targets, and that is precisely what will happen if any one of your demands is met. In the great scheme of things both me and the Senators are expendable for the good of the Republic." I declared.

Well, that was a creative editing of the truth. After all, I was a selfish bastard, who did not care for the Republic. Yet, from a certain point of view, all I said was true. Every competent GAR general should have made the same decision. The only thing that negotiating with a terrorist did, was making your citizens targets. Of course, too damn often the short term, politically expedient thing was to do so anyway, and damn the consequences.

Well, I guess that many Senators did not agree with me. Their baleful glares were telling.

"So, tell me, do you have control over all those charges, littered around the senators, or are they under the control of the droids?" I smiled at the woman.

Thirty more seconds.

She frowned and gave a nervous glance at one of the commando droids. Ah. That was going to be unpleasant. The only variant where most of the hostages walked away was one in which the mercs were in control. With the CIS droids holding all the cards...

Twenty seconds.

This was going to be ugly. I drank deeply from the poisoned well that was the Dark Side. I felt power rushing through my veins like a liquid fire. My senses expanded, feeling the clones taking positions around every entrance to the Senate Cambers. There were breaching charges placed on many doors, or the troopers were readying thermal detonators with which to blast a way in. On a few occasions, missile launchers were prepared for that exercise.

It was a good thing that there were no senators used as a live shields at the entrances.

Fifteen seconds.

I concentrated on the platforms at the bottom of the big chamber. They should do.

The female mercenary was scared. I could taste her fear. She was saying something about executing senators but I paid her no more attention. A lot of the hostages were about to die anyway.

Ten seconds.

The clones were in place. Those who were carrying concussion grenades had them primed and ready. My attention was on the droids carrying the chemical weapon. I examined them once again. They were interlinked. If one was disabled or tampered with in any way, all would blow up. Those things were shielded too, which made precise work on them much harder. Especially when I could not see with my eyes what I had to manipulate. So it was the hard way.

Five seconds.

I stretched through the Force and tapped the shoulders of various clone officers, who were commanding the troopers around the chambers. Those men started snapping orders.

Show time. The doors leading to the Senate Chamber blew inward, showering the vast expanse with shrapnel and pieces of molten metal. Half of the commando droids were wiped out in an instant. Yet, the rest were already acting, before the lethal rain of twisted metal had stopped.

The platforms at the bottom of the huge chamber leaped from their docks, creating a crude dome over and around the hostages. The charges around them detonated but most of the blast-waves and sharpnew were absorbed by my improvised shield. Yet, hundreds were scythed down by the shock-wave anyway.

In the same time, I grabbed the droids carrying the chemical weapon with a sure, telekinetic grip and hurled them at the ceiling, maintaining a sphere of Force energy around them. I threw a pod after each one of them.

If it was not for the multiple droids shooting at me and draining my shield, I could have used the Force to contain whatever was in those canisters, but that was not going to work. I was exhausted even before returning to the Senate.

Clones were pouring in the chambers after a barrage of concussion grenades.

The droids carrying the chemical agent detonated but the gray gas was contained in bubbles of Force. Moments later, they were smashed into the ceiling by the pods I hurled at them. A lot of the gas was sealed into an air tight shell of metal. The rest was contained by me for few more seconds, until my shield fell.

I jumped away from a hail of blaster fire. I called my lightsaber to my right hand and ignited its ruby blade. I rolled under the shots of a nearby droid and impaled it on my saber. I threw another across the chamber.

Above me, thick ropes of gray gas started descending. Fast.

"Get the hostages out of here! Now!" my roar echoed around the vast open space.

I could sense that the clones at the bottom were already doing so, but I knew it would be too little, too late. Unless I decided to sacrifice myself for the senators, most of them would be exposed to the gas, and that was not something that I was inclined to do.

I cut to pieces two more droids and hurled a pod at a group of mercs who were cheerfully shooting at the mass of hostages. Only one of them was fast enough to jump out of the way, however that was the extent of his luck. He landed in a stream of heavier than air gas and started chocking.

All around me, clones were storming the chambers and blasting both mercenaries and droids apart. But it was not fast enough. The gas was descending fast, in a quickly expanding streams of gray death.

I used telekinesis to throw away some of it but had to duck when a crimson blaster bolt nearly took my head off. I glanced at the direction from which the shot came, just in time to see two more blasts heading my way. I deflected them and glared at the woman who was sniping at me. Our eyes met for a brief moment, and before she pressed the trigger again I could see a mix of resignation and fierce enjoyment. I deflected another blaster bolt, this time at her, but she ducked back into the pod she was using for cover.

Around me the gas descended, splashing over a hastily erected telekinetic shield. I held my breath, using the Force to extend the time I could survive without air. However that feat was the extent of what I could pull off without collapsing.

My muscles were already on fire, and I could feel my strength ebbing away.

The sniper was able to shoot one last time before she was engulfed by the gas, which moments later fell over thousands of hostages. Many of them clutched their chests and collapsed, their bodies wracked by convulsions.

What a clusterfuck!


	11. Interlude 2

**AN: This story was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum: Gatemaster! Thank you for the great work!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**=RK=**

**Interlude 2: Consequences**

**Corellian Defence Force Headquarters, Corellia**

In front of a massive, reinforced building, a holo-projector showed a rendering of the images that were etched in the psyche of most Republic citizens. The assault of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and the battle in the heart of the Senate itself.

A gray haze.

Blue and red bolts of light crisscrossing in the air.

Men fighting, screaming and dying.

"All of us who were on Coruscant that day knew that something fundamental had changed. " spoke a middle-aged man. "We felt it in our bones, and for once that was not just a figure of speech."

The assembled crowds in front of the planetary Defense Forces Headquarters were silent, captivated by the speech of Bel Iblis.

"Some say that it would be a day that would live in infamy for generations." he continued. "While they are correct, what happened that day is so much more."

The Senator paused and looked all over the massive crowd which had assembled to hear him speak. Amongst the sea of men, women and children, he could see hundreds in the uniforms of the CDF.

"It was a wake up call!" his voice echoed over the assembled people. "Many of us believed that this conflict between the Republic and the Confederation of Independent systems, was of no consequences for us! After all, some of the Separatists do have real grievances! So we chose to remain neutral." his voice became quieter, yet the assembled people had no problem understanding his words. "But many who remained nominally loyal to the Republic, supported their cause." another pause. Iblis took a deep breath, and his voice thundered over the crowd.

"We all saw what those madmen of the CIS did! First Naboo! A neutral and peaceful planet still suffers under the unleashed horrors of the Blue Shadow! A terror that was eradicated from the face of the Galaxy centuries ago! Yet that was not enough! Confederate agents struck in the very heart of the Republic itself! Their agents, war criminals, every last one of them, used both biological and chemical weapons on the center of galactic civilization! In the very heart of Coruscant! But even that was not enough for them!" Iblis paused again and nodded to the general in full dress uniform standing to his left. The older man stepped forward and his powerful voice carried over the crowd.

"Everything that Senator Bel Iblis said is true! But that does not show the full extent of the depravities of the CIS! Republic Intelligence agents uncovered what is the true purpose of the recent Separatists invasion of Ryloth! It is to satisfy the terms of an alliance they made with the Hutt cartels! And the price of those criminals is slaves! Yes, that is correct! As we speak, millions of men, women and children are being enslaved and sold as mere cattle! Republic citizens, just as any one of you!" the general pointed at the crowd.

He stepped back and let the Senator to the front again. Garm looked at his people, and gave them a solemn nod.

"That is correct, my brothers and sisters! No matter how they began, the Confederation is now little more than the scum of the galaxy! Murderers! Slavers!" he took a deep breath.

The crowds surrounding the Defense Headquarters were growing restless. Iblis could almost taste their rising anger, and he could only imagine what was happening across the rest of Corellia and the star system. This speech was going live.

"In light of all that happened in the past few weeks, after heavy deliberation, the government of Corellia, unanimously, decided that we could no longer remain neutral in this conflict. The CIS has shown its true colors – that of a mad beast that must be put down for the safety of us all! As of noon today, Corellia rejoins fully with the Republic and declares war on the Confederation of Independent systems!"

His next words were drowned by the approving roar of the crowd.


	12. Chapter 11 Parts 1 and 2

****AN: This story was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum: ****Gatemaster, ****PsyckoSama****! Thank you for the great work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 11: The Fires of Ryloth**

**=RK=**

**Part 1**

**Senate Building, Coruscant**

It was almost over. I could feel thousands of beings dying. Part of me felt a pang of guilt. Perhaps there was a way to save more of the senators. But the cold, calculating piece of my mind that was the General whispered that the price would have been too high. It was almost a given that Palpatine would have tried to cut a deal, probably by releasing Grievous. That was unacceptable. The cyborg was a butcher who could rival some Sith. A few thousands senators' lives were small price to pay for keeping him contained and sending the message that the Republic won't negotiate with terrorists.

While I didn't really care for the Republic as a government, or its senators, that didn't mean that I wanted to see whole worlds full with innocent people held as hostages, something that the CIS was bound to do if their gambit here worked.

The clones below me were trying their best to drag as many senators as possible from the gray gas which was engulfing the chamber. Around me, the remaining commando droids were unloading their weapons at the advancing troopers, determined to sell their synthetic lives dearly.

I felt a danger through the Force and ducked under a blaster shot. The woman was back up. She was ignoring the gas and sniping at me. I deflected her next blaster bolt and frowned when I let my sensed wash over her. She was Force sensitive and had at least some rudimentary training.

I waved at a nearby group of clones who just finished blasting apart a commando droid and pointed them at the sniper. She had to duck under a rain of blue blaster bolts.

I used my last reserves of the Force to dart her way. I vaulted from pod to pod until I was able to jump at the woman's sanctuary.

She met me with few well placed shots from a hold out blaster, most of which I battered away with my lightsaber. Whether it was her skill or my weariness, two shots slipped through my defenses and hit me in the chest. However the blaster bolts splashed onto my armor, blasting small craters in an alloy which was created to handle much greater punishment.

Our eyes met and I saw comprehension dawning on her as my scarlet blade descended and nailed her to the floor of the battered pod she used as a fire-base.

A soft gasp fell from her lips. She tried to whisper something, but there was not enough air in her ruined lungs. I watched dispassionately as her eyes glazed over and felt the spark of life leaving her body. Once again I sensed a tiniest piece of Force energy rushing from a woman as she died to join with me. I frowned when it made me feel refreshed. What in the name of the Force was that?!

I acted on instinct and turned to the right. My blade snapped up and met a the dark edge of a vibro blade of a one armed commando droid. The machine chassis was battered and blackened from glancing hits. It stumbled in my direction and swung wildly and relatively slowly. My lightsaber shot forward, scrapping the outer edge of the robot's weapon, before cutting through the metal fingers gripping it. My next move slammed the tip of my blade between the photoreceptors of the droid, destroying its cybernetic brain. I withdrew my weapon and turned around, letting the neutralized machine to fall to the floor in a clatter of metal hitting upon metal. I scanned the chamber, searching for more threats, but aside for the gas which was still raining from the ceiling there were none left. I gazed at the clones busy removing the senators from the chamber and shook my head.

I knew that the galaxy had changed today. It remained to be seen whether it would be for the better or worse. I glanced at the Force sensitive woman I killed, wondered what could she have become in the timeline that would never be. It did not really mater now. Her path was extinguished by my blade, as so many others. Yet, I knew that what had happened so far was at best the end of the beginning of the Clone Wars.

For a moment I stared at my hands, wondering with how much blood would stain them before it all was over.

**=RK=**

**Chancellor's Office, Senate Building, Coruscant**

Palpatine grimaced when he felt hundreds of clones approaching the Senate. He had hoped that the CIS troops would dispose of the Senators, particularly those that opposed him before the GAR cleared up its act and rode to the rescue. No matter. Most of his political opponents should be held as hostages in the Senate's main chambers. A bit of negotiating and he should be able to not only ensure Grievous' release, but a favorable outcome of the mess in the building. Favorable for him of course.

He smiled like a kind, elderly gentleman, when the thick glass behind him exploded and a squad of clones rappelled in. Palpatine nodded at the officer in charge.

"Thank you captain!"

A LAAT with open doors appeared next to the shattered window.

"We need to go, sir!" stated the clone captain. "We do not know what else the separatists have in reserve. It is not safe here."

Palpatine glanced at the dead comm built into his desk and nodded. As he was cut off from all communication in his office, he was for all intents and purposes removed from power. Something the Sith Lord loathed.

"Right..." the Chancellor's next words were cut off by the Force screaming at him with a warning for immediate danger. Palpatine's eyes widened.

He needed to get out of the office. NOW!

Sidious raced between the clones, surprising them. He began gathering the Force around himself as a shield, but doing it subtly so that Veil and the young Jedi who he felt approaching wouldn't sense him. He was about to jump towards the LAAT, with an agility that would be the envy of a man half his age, and the consequences be damned, when the office behind him, as well as the clones were engulfed in a wave of fire and shrapnel.

Palpatine was thrown away by the blast wave, which struck the gunship and nearly sent it out of control. The Chancellor survived only thanks to the Force which was shielding him. However the energy field protecting him at that moment was not even close to what was needed to keep him unscratched, which in hindsight turned to be a good thing.

Sidious found himself flying through the air and passing through the open doors of the LAAT which, moments later, was spinning, with its pilots fighting for control. Palpatine's arms snapped to the side and grabbed the edge of the gunship's floor.

The Sith used the Force to reinforce his limbs and pulled himself into the wildly shaking machine. He hissed in pain. His robes were smoldering and he could smell the stench of burnt human flesh. His own. The back of his right hand was a ruin of torn blisters and cooked tissue. He could feel the hot burns on the right side of his face too.

The Dark Lord of the Sith swore an eternity of pain to the fools within CIS who had tried to assassinate him! HIM! Their future Emperor!

His fury was whipping around him, causing the force to act up and trash random items within the troop compartment. The Sith swore. He could not allow himself to be revealed right now. If it happened, it was foregone conclusion who the Jedi would blame and it was sure that Veil would use such a golden opportunity to move against him. Such a thing may very well spell disaster for his plans.

But there was a silver lining to his pain. If he played his cards well, he could emerge from this debacle like a hero, with his wounds as a proof, which would give him even more power. That thought cheered him up.

The pilots regained control over the LAAT and Palpatine ordered them to take him to the nearest command post where he wanted a doctor waiting. He started plotting a gruesome revenge upon the people who had dared wound him.

**=RK=**

**Temporary GAR Headquarters, Cruiser Requiem, High Orbit over Coruscant**

I slumped heavily in one of the few free chairs in the conference room which acted as a headquarters for GAR until the clusterfuck down on the planet was unfucked. I felt naked in my green general's uniform. My armor was in engineering when after an even more thorough decontamination, it would be fixed after the shots it had tanked earlier today.

Below us, Coruscant was still under a full lockdown, while the remains of the CIS forces on the ground were hunted down. However, after a brief meeting with Palpy, who had part of his face and right hand melted when apparently, separatists agents who did not know about his later ego tried to blow him to kingdom come, confirmed me as acting commander of GAR until we found out what happened with High Command. They were still under lockdown and heavy jamming.

That in turn meant that I could no longer act as little more than a common trooper. Not when the immediate crisis was mostly resolved. Besides, the prudent thing to do was to get out of sight of the surviving senators. Right now I was not their favorite person even if some of the saved hostages did agree that the CIS agents planned to kill them all anyway. So I designated my flagship as a temporary GAR headquarters.

I wondered if the Chiss woman I saved knew something about that. I added questioning her about it to the growing list of things I would ask her about when she awoke.

Meanwhile I was sipping from a steaming mug of caf and overseeing the supposedly organized chaos in the room. Various officers, both natural born and clones were busy making sense of the mess on Coruscant, and across the galaxy.

I stood up and smiled tiredly when Obi-Wan and Ahsoka entered the madhouse. After the debacle of the temple and my new, temporary promotion, Kenobi was sent as a liaison between the Jedi and the GAR. The kid was already on board. She had came up on the LAAT bringing the Skywalkers to the med bays of the cruiser. Considering that Coruscant was a long way from being declared secure, I had ordered them taken to my flagship for treatment.

"Obi-Wan, I am glad to see you," I said. "Ahsoka." I nodded at the kid. "How are Skywalker and the Senator?" I asked.

"The doctor swears that Padme will make a full recovery, but she'll have a mean scar. My Master should be awake sometime tonight. "

"What happened with Anakin and senator Amidala?!" exclaimed Kenobi.

I gave him the bare-bones of what senator Iblis told me. He shook his head at Skywalker's latest stunt. I nodded in commiseration, praying that my apprentices wouldn't give me so much grief.

"Have the Separatists executed other attacks, banking on us being preoccupied with Coruscant?" asked my fellow general.

"None that we've heard about so far. However they seem to have reinforced most of their armies engaged with our forces." I answered. "Then there is what RI agents uncovered about the CIS actions on Ryloth." I spat. If I had anything to say about it, that would be my next destination as soon as the mess here was more or less cleaned up.

"Oh?" inquired Obi-Wan.

I could sense that he was wary from the anger I let slip through my shields when I thought about what those confederate bastards were doing on the Twi'lek homeworld.

"It appears that our Huttese "friends" have cut a deal with the separatists. They would support them for some concessions. One of which is slaves. That is one of the primary aims of the invasion of Ryloth."

"The CIS are participating in slavery?!" exclaimed Ahsoka.

The horror was on her face, clear for all to see.

"Its unclear if that is the official position of the Sep government or if someone cut a personal deal with the Hutts, but it does not really matter. It's the CIS leaders responsibility anyway." I spat.

Kriffing slavers! I couldn't wait to get my hands on those bastards!

I took a deep breath.

"Unfortunately, we can't do anything about it until Coruscant is reasonably secured. With the attacks on Naboo and here, we are stretched almost to the breaking point." I whispered.

Ahsoka looked incredulously at me but Kenobi only nodded gravely. I looked at the girl. As a mere commander, she was not briefed on the overall strategic situation. Which was that for the moment the Republic was loosing the war. If we could hang out for about a year or so, until the clone army was fully mobilized and the next couple of naval construction cycles were completed, we would have a very good chance to turn the tide. That and hopefully after the attacks on Coruscant, some of the systems which declared their neutrality in this conflict would come to our side.

"What exactly happened at the senate?" asked Kenobi.

"Ah. That." I muttered.

The gas deployed by the separatists was called something that I could not pronounce. It was also known as the Gray Death. It killed outright nearly three thousand senators with almost as many who were not expected to make it. The preliminary reports were saying that if I had not pulled my stunt, the damn thing would have wiped them all out. Not that most of the survivors appeared be of the same opinion. There was already grumbling heard that I risked their lives instead of negotiating.

I smiled viciously at that thought. After speaking with Palpatine and before heading for the Requiem I had a brief chat with few chosen reporters. I didn't really have to manipulate the newsies. I just mentioned that few ungrateful senators would prefer to make all their constituents targets for terrorists and the CIS butchers in order to save their own skin.

For once the media was helpful and was already tearing those politicians apart.

"The two bases hit with Blue Shadow..." I continued to brief Kenobi.

**=RK=**

**Part 2**

**Med Bay****, ****Republic ****Cruiser Requiem, High Orbit over Coruscant**

I entered one of the compartment of the Med Bay, where the bacta tanks were situated, and walked next to Anakin. He was standing still in front of a cylinder which was holding his wife. Padme was floating peacefully within, submerged into green colored bacta.

After few minutes of silence I asked, "How are you holding up?"

Skywalker turned his haunted eyes towards me.

"I kriffed up!" he hissed angrily.

"That is a big steaming pile of bantha poodo and you know it!" I scoffed. "You got your wife alive out of that damn killzone as well as most of the other hostages. You did well, Anakin."

"Then why is she in there!" he shouted, pointing at the bacta tank.

"Its war. Shit happens. People get hurt. It's a messed up age we are living in." I fixed him with a cold stare. "Despite everything the universe has thrown your way, your wife is still alive. So be glad that she'll recover, and train so you can do better the next time our dear Senator gets herself into trouble."

"Padme won't..." he winced and trailed off.

I shook my head at the poor bastard. If he believed that Amidala will stop putting herself in danger, or finding herself in sticky situations anyway, I had some prime farm land to sell him. Smack in the middle of the dune sea on Tatooine...

"She would." he grumbled.

"Well, I doubt that you would have married an obedient wife, who would stay safely at home waiting for you." I quipped.

"It would be much easier on the nerves..." he muttered.

"Just don't let her hear you saying that. You'll sleep on the couch for a long time."

Anakin gave me a small smile, before growing serious.

"You didn't come here just to check up on us. Not with everything that happened yesterday," he stated.

"Unfortunately not. There is a meeting of the ranking GAR officers who are present in the system. Its in fifteen minutes. Conference room Sigma Three. There will be some changes in High Command. We have three generals and an admiral dead with two more who would be out of commission for months thanks to complications from the Blue Shadow cure."

"That's bad." muttered Skywalker.

**=RK=**

**Conference room Sigma Three, Republic Cruiser Requiem; High orbit over Coruscant**

When we gathered for the meeting, which would decide where the GAR would be going on after the debacle on Coruscant, there were only six people present in person on the cruiser. Yoda, Kenobi, Skywalker, Pellaeon and General Telar Valentra and me. Valentra was the only one who had survived the attack on High Command, and was the only one of the high ranking officers there lucky enough not to be infected. It was thanks to his habit to be in his armor while on duty, with his helmet always nearby. The aging Zabrak male possessed a healthy dose of paranoia.

Around the large, round table which dominated the room, could be seen multiple pale holographic projections of Jedi generals as well as that of admiral Yularen. In total it was a small number, which represented those of us who were both healthy enough to participate in the meeting and not present into an active combat theater at the moment, in order to mitigate the possibility of the communications being intercepted. I knew that it would be a futile effort with Palpy being our commander in chief, but that was no reason to slack on the security protocols.

One of them was glaring daggers at me. I smiled nervously at master Shaak Ti, who was overseeing the training of the clone troopers on Kamino.

"You can't stay out of trouble for even a week, can you?" she grumbled.

I shrugged. It wasn't like I goaded the CIS into doing insane operations!

"Blame the Separatists. I've only done my best to clean up the mess that they did on Naboo and Coruscant."

"Speaking about the capital, what is the status of the Senate?" interjected Master Secura.

General Valentra's expression became grim.

"Six thousand eight hundred and thirty one Senators are either dead or not expected to make it after the attacks. That's about sixty percent of them all. Those number does not include all the aides and attaches, most of whom were simply gunned down in the Senate halls." he declared in a grave voice. "We do not have complete number for them but there are more than twenty three thousand confirmed dead in the Senate building alone. That is before units under General Veil's command assaulted the building."

The generals who didn't yet know the numbers stared at the old Zabrak in stunned disbelief.

"Grave blow this is," stated Yoda. He looked me in the eyes. It was obvious that he disapproved the way I handled the Senate business.

I stared back calmly and wondered what would have happened if a Jedi was in charge of that mess. Would they have negotiated with the mercenaries, despite the consequences of such actions?

"What would you have me do in such circumstances? Negotiate with the terrorists? Meet their demands, which would have seen the CIS taking whole worlds as hostages? It would have been a disaster for the Republic, even greater than what happened yesterday." I stated dispassionately.

"Yes. Our duty is to save lives!" snapped Ayala Secura.

"As a Jedi, that might be the case, Master Secura." I answered with the same calm tone. "But, as a General, your duty is a bit different. It is tragic, but often we have to decide which course of action is best for the Republic as a whole and stick to it. As GAR officers, which all of us are, our oaths are to the Republic as a whole and the people that make it what it is, not only to the Senate and the individual Senators, despite them being the civilian leadership we answer to."

I was really not surprised to see General Valentra and Admiral Yularen nodding in agreement while most of the Jedi glared at me.

"In a war people die. Our duty is to spent the lives of our subordinates wisely, not to waste them pursuing impossible objectives." I added.

"If someone had not only negotiated with the hostage takers, but actually met their demands... The consequences would not bare thinking about..." grumbled the Admiral.

"That's right. Besides, you are obviously assuming that they wouldn't have killed the Senators anyway." added Valentra. He patted a data pad which laid on the table in front of him. "The preliminary reports from the Senate Chambers show that the commando droids had remote control over the charges and the gas."

"General Veil had no way to know that." declared Master Adi Mundi.

"I suspected it. The elimination of the Senate would have been the best outcome for the Separatists. Even with a partial success they now have a huge advantage. We'll have huge political problems." I said.

"Finding out a way to deal with the aftermath is one of the main reasons for this meeting," added General Valentra.

Moments later one last figure appeared, projected over an empty chair. That was the Chancellor who was in an undisclosed location on the plant below us. Palpy resembled a mummy with the thick bandages covering the right side of his face.

That earned him a lot of sympathetic looks. The poor fella. It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

"Let's get this meeting started." said Palpatine with gravel voice. "After yesterday, it is clear that the Confederation of Independent systems is a clear and present danger for the very existence of the Republic. In light of that, our strategic aims in prosecuting the war have to change. A peaceful settlement of this conflict, aside from the Separatists unconditional surrender is no longer acceptable!" declared the Chancellor with conviction ringing in his voice. "They have proven themselves as murderous criminals who could not be trusted! The use of biological and chemical weapons on Coruscant itself can't go unpunished!"

Most of us, even a lot of Jedi agreed with the last point. The WMD genie had to be nipped out in the bud as soon as possible. There were more than enough, mostly conventional, ways to wipe out a planet anyway.

I had to suppress a smirk. This was probably the first time since the war started when Palpy was saying the truth. Besides I was ready to bet that what really irked his Royal Sithiness was that he was actually hurt. By what was supposed to be his own people. I found it hilarious.

"Because of what happened, I am under tremendous pressure from the remains of the Senate for immediate action." said Palpatine. "In order to secure the support needed for further expansion of the GAR, we must restore the faith of the public and Senate into the Army. Ladies and gentlemen, we need a victory. Soon."

"With the hit taken by GAR High Command, we have few critical jobs that need to be filled." said General Valentra. "We are hardly at a position to produce a major victory soon."

"There is a possibility," whispered commodore Pellaeon.

We all looked at his direction.

"Speak, Commodore." ordered Yularen.

Gilad straightened in his chair.

"Yes, sir. I heard some disturbing information from Republic Intelligence. It concerns Ryloth."

"I've have been pressured by the Senate to liberate that world for the past few weeks," stated Palpatine. "However, I was told that we didn't have the assets needed for such an operation."

"The blockade there is too strong. We can't spare the starships for a successful attack there without critically weakening other fronts." confirmed Yularen.

"That is a supposition based on incomplete information." said Pellaeon. "At least that is what the RI agent with whom I spoke believe."

"Please enlighten us, Commodore Pellaeon." Palpatine waved at the man.

"Yes, sir. Big part of the blockade consists of Droid command ships, which would usually imply a huge number of Munificent frigates as escorts. That is not the case. Those ships are there as transports. It appears that the Separatists had cut a deal with the Hutt cartels. In exchange for looking to the other side where their activities are concerned, the damn worms wanted slaves to accept the deal. That is one of the primary reason for the invasion of Ryloth. It is unclear whether the last part is the CIS official policy or one of their leaders is being opportunistic, but there are millions of Republic citizens turned into slaves and shipped to the damn Hutts."

The silence that descended upon the room after that information came to light, could be cut with a vibroblade. Yularen and Valentra were looking horrified at the Commodore, while the Jedi had gobsmacked expressions on their faces. They could scarcely believe it, or so it seemed.

However, what I sensed from the man to my left, resonated with the fury rising within my heart. All the shit they pulled was not enough! The accursed CIS had to become a bunch of kriffing slavers too! I fumed silently. I spoke before I could think things through.

"I volunteer to lead a force to liberate Ryloth." I declared.

"I'll go!" exclaimed Skywalker.

We spoke simultaneously. We looked at each other and chuckled, an act that diminished the rising tension in the room.

"You two will still need a lot of additional forces for such an operation. General Veil's fleet is far from ready. Besides most of the assets under his command are tied down at Naboo." General Valentra dashed our enthusiasm.

"What happens on Ryloth is not something we could let continue." said Shaak Ti. "There are a few fresh formations that would be ready before the end of the month, as well as various groups of clones designated as replacements of combat losses..." she started thinking aloud.

"That's a possibility." I muttered.

Many heads turned my way. I frowned, thinking.

"Sent the green troops to enforce the quarantine on Naboo. Then we could pull out the veterans from that mission and use them as the heart of a liberation force. But we'll still need more ground troops and ships to retake Ryloth. As well as enough equipment for the infantry and armor formations."

"I'll lit a fire under our logistics corps and see what we can provide. The cupboard is a bit empty right now." said General Valentra.

"It is decided then. The GAR will liberate Ryloth as soon as possible." despite his mellow tone, Palpatine's words were an order. "Now, what about the casualties suffered at GAR headquarters?"

That was thorny question. A lot of high ranking officers were either dead or incapacitated for the near future.

"Sir, I have a proposal for changes in the GAR leadership, that I believe would serve us well in view of the casualties taken yesterday..." said General Valentra.

Hours later, when it was finally over, there were some changes made in how the GAR was run. High Command on Coruscant was left with the strategic planning of the war as well as the most important job of them all – handling the unholy mess that were the logistics of a galaxy spanning conflict. General Valentra was confirmed as overall military commander of the circus that was the GAR, with only the Chancellor over him. Me and most of the Jedi were relegated as Direct Action Command – read the field commanders of the army, which became a separate branch of the Republic armed forces. That came with something that I liked very much. The members of the DAC had command authority even if there were higher ranking officers from other branches of the GAR in any given war theater. No more REMFs in charge of combat troops. Yay!

Another thing that was discussed was a proposition to pass the commanders of the GAR through a review commission of their peers, to confirm that they actually deserved their current ranks. Most Jedi were against such a thing, believing that it was aimed against them. Which it was.

For now the suggestion went nowhere, but I hoped that it will come to pass at later date. While a lot of Jedi did become good field commanders, a lot of them were barely passable or worse. That was something that could have been at least partially solved if they had at passed through rudimentary officer training.

When the meeting was over, Valentra gathered me, Skywalker, Kenobi, Yularen and Pellaeon, in order to start planning the liberation of Ryloth. I wanted to speak with him about some changes in the standard infantry equipment and ship designs after that as well.

**AN: Folks, do you want to wait for full chapter, or should I continue uploading to the parts I have ready as I do on the Space Battles forums?**


	13. Chapter 11 Part 3

****AN: This chapter was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum: ****Gatemaster****! Thank you for the great work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**=RK=**

**Phase 11: The Fires of Ryloth**

**=RK=**

**Part 3**

**General Veil's office, GAR High Command, Coruscant**

I was checking for one last time the finalized list of forces dedicated to Operation "Retribution", the plan to liberate Ryloth.

Eight Venator cruisers, which included all of those under my command, the three still active from Skywalker's fleet and two more ships, the brand new _Conviction _and the _Coruscant's pride_. Those as well as four Acclamators and sixteen frigates were dedicated as the strike force that would break the blockade over Ryloth and make way for the ground component of the invasion. That would be ten additional Acclamators under the command of Kenobi's _Negotiator_.

211,000 clone troopers and support personnel. Eight hundred LAATs. Four hundred fifty seven armored walkers and three hundred and sixty Self-Propelled Artillery pieces as well as thousands of speeders. All of them counted on me to get them safely to the ground.

Yeah, lucky me. I was granted my wish and would be the overall commander of the operation. Part of it was my actual combat experience. The other – it was deemed healthy for my future if I was away from Coruscant for the foreseeable future.

Thanks to a few statements and carefully leaked pieces of information, most Republic citizens were thrilled with me. As it turned out, the common folks on the streets liked the fact that I placed their well being before that of their Senators. Most of the surviving politicians on the other hand were not too thrilled with me. I think that a lot of them hoped that I would get myself killed one of these days and they were insisting that I'd be given a battlefield command as soon as possible. Preferably far from Coruscant. Of course, none of them said that they actually wanted; to send me on the first available suicide mission, but their true sentiments were obvious.

Ironically enough, I did have more than a few supporters within the Senate Remnants, men like Bel Iblis and most surprisingly, Padme Amidala, who was horrified when she awoke and found out what the body count was.

The death toll in the Senate alone was more than thirty four thousand, most of whom died before the assault I led. That little fact went a long way proving to those who were willing to listen that my actions were justified.

Before I merged with the ghost of Darth Vael, what happened that day would have given me nightmares for a long time.

The other reason Senator Amidala started changing her world view was what happened on Naboo.

Despite the cure, the planet would be under quarantine for at least a year, perhaps much longer. The worst thing was the number of people who perished before sufficient quantities of the cure could be manufactured and distributed.

In Theed alone, more than one point seven million people died from the Blue Shadow. The numbers were still coming in. The experts expected at least two million dead as direct casualties from the bio weapon.

I looked over the numbers once again and nodded to myself. Those troops should be sufficient in the short term. I hoped that Valentra would be able to scrounge a second echelon to help liberate the planet. A few more capital ships to keep away enemy reinforcements wouldn't go amiss either.

**=RK=**

**General Valentra's office, GAR High Command, Coruscant**

I sipped from a mug filled with a steaming Caf and took a deep breath of the invigorating aroma. From the other side of his desk, which was covered with various data-pads, General Valentra was doing the same.

The graying Zabrak placed down his cup and scanned the finalized troop list for Operation "Retribution". A deep frown creased his face.

"Finding all that hardware in the time required will be tough. The so called Chameleon paint is out of the questions. There is some kind of bottleneck with its production and all we have as well as the equipment needed to reapply it on armor is tasked for the Special Forces Command (SFC)."

"That is unpleasant." I muttered. "With the standard white color, my boys will stick out on Ryloth like Jedi in a Twi'lek massaging parlor." What that meant was self-explanatory. It was the Coruscant's slang for your friendly, local whorehouse.

My commanding officer smirked at that image.

"That all-white foolishness is over. We are changing the basic color schemes of the GAR armors to dark gray and black, except for the places where it is useful as a cammo. However, there is one thing that we can't fix for the moment," he grumbled.

If his expression was anything to judge by, someone should have found himself at the nastiest assignment the Army had over it, whatever it was.

"The damn color coding on the clone officers armor." he spat in disgust.

Oh, that was something I loathed. It's only purpose was to tell the CIS snipers who to shoot. As one could expect, those kriffing bastards had a field day with it.

"We are obliged by our contract with Kamino to keep it." the General hissed.

I blinked at him owlishly. He was joking, right?!

He saw my incredulous expression and smiled grimly.

"I'm not pulling your leg, Delkatar. Master Shaak Ti is in talks with the Kamino government in attempt to resolve the issue. It appears that their leaders see the clones just as another piece of equipment, and don't seem to understand what is the problem with the armor color coding." I could hear the distaste in his voice.

Of all the bloody, stupid things... God damned politicians! I really wanted to have few minutes alone with those idiots!

On the bright side, the General was obviously disgusted by the way some people treated the clones. That was reassuring. I could use that.

"I take it that bad things happen if we just disregard that piece of the contract and leave the politicians to deal with the aftermath?" I innocently asked.

He snorted in amusement.

"That was my first reaction too. But no! Not if we want the amount of clones we need at prices that the Republic can afford." he grumbled. "Those are people damn it! Not pieces of equipment!" he exclaimed.

I nodded. "All, too true, my friend. Perhaps we can somewhat mitigate our reliance on Kamino for manpower." I mussed.

"Hmm... There are a few Generals and worlds that are raising militia as their armed forces. Not everyone trusts the clones."

Which was smart, all things considered. At this stage I was probably the only GAR general who could trust the clones under his command. After all, I had removed their mental conditioning.

"That's a start, but we need much more than just planetary militias. Such formations could be sufficient as PDF forces, to help defend their respective homewords. The Republic as a whole needs more. The times when things could go on without a standing army or a true combat navy are over." I said.

Telar drank his Caf and nodded in agreement.

"We need an aggressive recruitment campaign for both the Republic Army and Navy," he said thoughtfully. "After the way you handled the media in the aftermath of the Coruscant attacks, perhaps you should ask the Citizens of the Republic to enlist." he smiled at me.

"Another PR campaign." I grumbled. However I saw his point.

Right now my popularity within the Republic was second only to Palpatine and that was only thanks to the sympathy he got for his wounds... I saw a date with the army PR department in my near future and recording some recruitment clips.

"Now, about the additions you want for the standard infantry equipment, and the changes in our armored forces doctrine..."

**=RK=**

**Republica 500, Coruscant**

Anakin hurried towards his wife's flat. He intended to move quietly, so he wouldn't awake her, but when he came near the apartment he could clearly sense that she was still up. He let himself in and moved in the direction of her presence.

Padme was siting on a couch in the dark living room. The only light in there came from the lights of nearby building, few passing aircars and from the data-pad, which occupied her attention.

Anakin, who was at the living room's door, smiled softly at his wife.

"Hey, Angel." he whispered.

Padme turned her head so she could see him and rewarded his presence with a small, sad smile. She refused to show him the left side of her face, despite that he had seen her scar many times during the last week. However, aside from a brief time they had on Veil's Flagship, this was the only time that they were alone since she was wounded in the Senate Attacks.

"Ani..." she whispered quietly.

Anakin frowned. He might not be the brightest fella out there, but did he ever gave his wife a reason to doubt his love?! It wasn't like that a little scar could change the way he felt about her! She was the best thing to ever happen to him!

"Now, love. We'll have none of that." he stalked towards the couch and knelt in front of Padme.

Anakin used his real arm to gently grasp her soft chin and carefully turned her head so he can see her whole face. An angry red scar emanated from the middle of her jaw bone and spread across her cheek until it almost reached her ear. It strangely resembled the branches of a tree.

Padme grimaced, when Anakin stared at her disfigured face. Then she gasped when he gently kissed her scarred cheek.

"Is that all?" Anakin gave her a careless, boyish smile. "As if something like this could make me love you less."

"Ani, I'm..." Padme tried to speak but was interrupted by a soft, index finger touching her lips.

"Padme, you are as beautiful as ever, my love."

His finger was replaced by a pair of searching lips. She moaned, as a wave of heat raised within her, and Padme leaned forward, needing more contact with her husband.

Anakin smirked with satisfaction and deepened the kiss.

It was hours before either of them was in a state to talk again.

Shortly before sunrise, the married couple found themselves in Padme's bed, with only a thin, silky sheet covering their intertwined, naked bodies.

"You are about to leave again!" pouted Padme.

It was Anakin's turn to smile sadly. He would have preferred to stay that way, instead of heading to his ship in orbit, but that was not to be. Something both of them knew, not that it prevented them from wishing it to be otherwise.

"Unfortunately, I am damn good at what I do!" Skywalker declared bashfully.

Padme gave him a brief, content smile, which expressed her thoughts on the subject.

"That you are, dear," she cuddled next to his chest and whispered fiercely. "Be careful, you hear me! I want you back in one piece!"

"Aye, aye, ma'am!" answered Anakin and kissed her passionately.

He was one of the last men to report to the fleet in orbit.

**=RK=**

**CIS Council Chambers, Location Classified**

Multiple beings, some of whom were more machine than organic, were assembled around a long table. Most of them looked understandably nervous.

From a massive holo-projector, they watched a news cover of the events that occurred on Coruscant few days ago. Every one of them had a data-pad in front of them, showing the CIS intelligence reports about the debacle on the Republic's capital. One they authorized, or so so most of them thought.

"What in the name of all the galaxy's credits, is this?!" shouted San Hill, the Chairman of the InterGalactic Banking clan, and threw the data-pad he had been reading at the table. The inoffensive piece of equipment shattered over the metal surface.

Voros Argaya, the new Neimoidian Viceroy could not help but agree to the sentiment.

In the next few minutes accusations flew left, right and center, while the politicians were blaming each other for the debacle.

Duke Poggle the Lesser cursed in his clicking native language, grabbed his walking stick, which he had left leaning to his chair and used it to strike the table as if it was a gong.

"Enough!" he shouted in a heavily accented, but nonetheless understandable basic.

His uncharacteristic actions were shocking enough to shut up the crowd of cowards which was supposed to lead the Confederation.

"Despite all that happened on Coruscant, our armies are still winning! Even in the few battles we've lost, the Republic has been hurt. We'll have at least one more year of nearly unchallenged strategic superiority until our enemies could fully mobilize. Total victory is in our grasp! "he declared. "Unless your squabbling leads to the Confederation's fracturing! After those madmen unleashed both Blue Shadow and even a gas attack on Coruscant itself we have no other choice! Now it is victory or death for every one of us!" shouted the old insectoid.

"Our esteemed colleague is correct." declared Argaya. His words were the only thing interrupting the silence following Poggle's statement. "We are now forced into a different kind of war. None of us can change what happened. However, we need to know how such madness was came to be! Those were our people on Coruscant, yet they grossly overstepped their orders!"

A shadow separated from one of the conference room's dark corners. It was soon revealed to be a tall woman, who was mostly hidden by a dark cloak. Only her full lips and the blue lower part of her face were visible.

"Perhaps I could shed some light on the events on our enemy's capital." her sensual voice floated through the room.

"By all means, go on my Lady." Poggle gave her a respectful nod.

She was the nominal leader of Count Dooku's Acolytes, and no one in his right mind wanted to mess with them. Especially with this one, who was probably the most competent and dangerous of them all.

"My agents uncovered that the orders sent to the operatives we used for the Coruscant operations were altered. Additional equipment was provided, enough Blue Shadows to paralyze two of the military bases on the planet as well as the gas used on the Senators. It all came from our stocks with council authorization." she almost purred, enjoying the horrified looks and the terror she could feel from many of the beings in the room.

"I trust that you'll find and deal appropriately with the one's responsible?" asked the Gianossian Duke.

"But of course, my dear Poggle! It will be my pleasure!" she almost sang with joy.

"That disaster aside, what would we do concerning the public's reaction? If we don't strongly denounce the attacks, many of our own citizens may stop supporting us." said Argaya. He turned to the holographic image of Wat Tambor. "The stunt you are pulling off on Ryloth won't help us where that matter is concerned."

The Foreman of the Techno Union bristled at that! This Neimoidian had the gall to challenge his brilliant idea!

"My plan secured us the support of the Hutts, something that can't be overstated. Now we can use their territory with impunity. Not only that, but they have provided our cause with a lot of mercenaries, many of whom have their own ships! Already I have a small fleet of privateers and thousands of men on the ground, here on Ryloth! "

"Not to mention the killing you are making selling them weapons..." someone muttered not too quietly.

Passel Argene smirked. He and his corporate friends were making a fortune selling drugs directly to the Hutts, now that a middle man was no longer needed.

"Its already done. For your sake lets hope that those criminal's contribution would make up for the outrage our Confederacy will be receiving over your actions there." Shui Mai from the Commerce guild chided Tambor.

"We need to make a statement declaring the perpetrators of the attacks a rogue element." declared Poggle.

For once there was a universal agreement between the council members.


	14. Chapter 11 Part 4

****AN: This story was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum: ****Gatemaster****! Thank you for the great work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**=RK=**

**Phase 11: The Fires of Ryloth**

**=RK=**

**Part 4**

**Republic Cruiser Requiem, Task Force "Retribution" Flagship; Hyperspace**

She was bored. Reeealy bored!

All the channels the small holoprojector in her room could get were showing the same things, again and again! Or they were speculating about the consequences of the attacks on Coruscant.

She knew more about the CIS operation on the planet than the reporters anyway. So she had to speak with those folks from Republic Intelligence for days!

What was wrong with them anyway?! She told them the truth as she knew it the first time! And the second, and the third... She lost count how many time she had to repeat it! But they continued asking the same questions, day after day, until she was tempted to Force Choke them to death! That would at least be interesting... Riiight?!

The blue skinned woman pouted. If this was it, living was overrated!

The bland routine was driving her insane.

Where was that man, the one who saved her, anyway?! He promised that he'll talk with her soon. She had met him for a couple of minutes after she awoke. Then he somehow managed to persuaded her to speak with those people from Republic Intelligence and then disappeared. Men!

She glanced at the image shown by the holoprojector. It showed the domed building she thought was the Republic's Senate and dozens of small specks swarming it. Ah. It was showing how the clones assaulting it. Again.

Her head whipped around and her mismatched eyes stared at the sealed door which slid into the walls with a quiet hiss.

"Hi! We finally have some time to catch up!" said the man who had saved her, and then sent her to this hellish boredom!

She felt his presence in the Force. It called to something dark deep inside her. She heard a seductive whisper before everything went red. She smiled, relishing in the feeling of power coursing through her very being. A growl escaped her lips before she sent a telekinetic push his way.

**=RK=**

**Republic Cruiser Requiem, Task Force "Retribution" Flagship; Hyperspace; twenty minutes earlier**

I smirked at Jaybo who waited impatiently next to the workbench over which I was working. The kid wanted some "serious" training. So I decided to oblige him.

The last component of the device I was finishing slid in place with a quiet click.

"Its done." I declared cheerfully.

I used telekinesis to levitate the short cylinder, made of dull gray metal to the expectant hands of the kid.

"A lightsaber?! Cool!" he exclaimed and grabbed it from my intangible grasp.

Jaybo wasted no time in pressing the weapon's activation button. A vibrant, azure blade came to life with the characteristic snap-hiss of a lightsaber. He stared at it and his brilliant smile fell. Jaybo pouted at me.

"Its blue!" he stated the obvious. "You are a Sith, right?! And I'm supposed to be your apprentice! So why is it blue?!" he asked in accusing tone.

I grinned at the kid like the proverbial Chestire cat.

"You see, my young apprentice, while I may be a Sith, you are not. Not yet at any rate. Two things must happen first, for you to be one." I started lecturing my student. "First, you have to want to be a Sith, and frankly you don't know enough yet to make an educated decision. When the time comes that you know the basics, you'll have to make a choice."

Jaybo frowned at me. Obviously this was not what he expected. Tough. I had no intention of wasting him by taking the fastest and easiest path that usually ended with just another brute, someone who was little more than disposable shock trooper. That was not the kind of Sith I needed for the Order I intended to build.

"You are damn persistent with sending me back to school!" Jaybo grumbled.

I chuckled. Oh, he had no idea!

"Second, you have to earn the right to be called a Sith. But that is a topic for a later time. Now, you wanted some "serious" training, as you put it, didn't you? Oh, my foolish, young apprentice. You'll learn to be careful what you wish for. Sometimes it comes true!" I gave him an evil smile with accompanying chuckle which made him take a hasty step back.

I used the Force to manipulate the contents of couple of lockers which were hugging the wall behind Jaybo. Their doors snapped open and six fist sized spheres flew out. They had small red blisters spread evenly over their surface.

"Uh, oh." muttered my apprentice.

The spheres darted forward and surrounded Jaybo, floating about a meter and a half over the floor.

"The average Jedi starts training with one of these toys. I naturally expect better of you." my smile grew wider.

One of the balls sent a tiny, red bolt of energy at Jaybo who jumped out of the way, letting the attack to harmlessly splash on the ground.

"I've shown you how to access the Force. Let it flow through you, then use it to enhance your perception and reflexes. Soon enough you would be consistently seeing the attacks a moment before they occur. When you reach that stage, what you need to do is train your body to be able to keep up."

"Ouch!" exclaimed Jaybo after he was not fast enough in avoiding the next attack.

"Tsk. You have a training saber now, kid. Use it."

He tried to parry the next attack, but missed, and started waving around his left hand which was stinging from the hit.

"It hurts!" he grumbled.

"It will keep you motivated to get the hang of it faster. Besides you have stage two to look up to!" I quipped.

"Do I even want to know!?" he exclaimed.

This time two of the spheres shot at him. Jaybo sidestepped one bolt and managed to interpose the blade of the training lightsaber in the path of the other attack, deflecting it at the ceiling. It was crude, but worked.

"That's the spirit!" I cheered him. "Just remember, next you'll have to do it with your eyes closed." I smirked.

"What?!" Jaybo exclaimed, loosing his concentration. "Argh! Delkatar, you bastard!" he shouted when three bolts struck him simultaneously.

"Have fun kid!"

I left the grumbling Jaybo to his fate and headed for a meeting I've postponed for more than long enough.

**=RK=**

Perhaps I should have made the time to visit my guest earlier. Much earlier.

I could feel her frustration and boredom. Not a good combination for a Force Adept, especially one whose training I suspected to be a hack job. Oh, boy. I had my work cut out for me.

I nodded to the squad of clones guarding the room of the woman I saved and waited while they executed a security scan. They all knew better than becoming sloppy. I made sure of that.

I really should have met her earlier. For the past week or so since she awoke, the Chiss female was known only as Azure, the code name given to her by RI. Not terribly original. She needed a real name.

At least she had managed to control herself and the agents who interrogated her made it out of those interviews unscathed.

Perhaps it was time for me to get myself a personal staff. There was only one of me and an eternally increasing mountain of paperwork that had to be done in order for my fleet to keep running. That was before the conception of Operation "Retribution". Now, despite Piett being back from Naboo and doing excellent job as my aide, I was simply swamped. Even getting Veers to help didn't improve the situation.

I lamented the days of the Empire when I could simply dump most of that never sufficiently damned paperwork on my minions. I frowned. That thought just reminded me that I didn't have minions anymore.

Whose idea was that I should become a Republic general anyway?! I wanted to have a "chat" with the bastard. Oh right, it was my idea.

The scan was complete and the leader of the guard detachment nodded me to proceed.

The door slid open, revealing a spartan compartment. It had a small bed with a standard mattress, no particularly comfortable one at that, a desk which slid into the wall and a small stool. In the far end of the room, a holoprojector was tuned to a channel showing images of the Assault on the Senate.

The Chiss woman was sitting on the bed. The moment I entered, her head snapped my way and she stared at me.

"Hi! We finally have some time to catch up!" I greeted her with a nervous smile on my face.

I felt a tug through the Force, as if a void within me had become a bit less... It was hard to put the sensation into words. It was like the feeling of a Force bond forming. Yet it was so much more and at the same time... less.

I felt the Dark Side trying to possess her, her spiking anger. The woman liked the sweet sensation of the energies running through her body.

Then she attacked.

I retaliated with stream of telekinetic energy which met her onslaught. Our attacks canceled each other, producing a wave of displaced air in the process. It battered us in the form of a short lived, but strong wind.

That didn't deter her. She snarled and jumped at me.

"Sir!" exclaimed one of the clones behind me. I could hear the clicks of disengaging safeties.

"I'll deal with the lady. Do not engage unless she attacks you." I ordered.

If she was thinking coherently and had the necessary training to back up her ferocity, the Chiss woman could have been dangerous in hand to hand combat. As she was, she proved to be little more than a berserker who had slipped under the influence of the Dark Side.

That was what made it so dangerous. One moment the woman was simply frustrated. In the next she had lost it. Not that it was surprising. I should have expected something like this. After all, the woman was supposed to be a one shot, disposable weapon. The people who made her what she was didn't care for long term consequences. She was supposed to be dead by now.

It felt strange. As if I knew her every action before she tried to execute it. It was easy to counter her uncoordinated attacks.

I used the back of my right hand to slap aside a wild swing before delivering a Force enhanced palm strike at her solar plexus. At the same time, my left hand caught her other fist which tried to give me an impressive shiner.

I used telekinesis to roughly pick up the gasping woman and slammed her in the far wall. She wheezed as the little air left in her lungs was forcibly pushed out. I felt the uncontrolled rage leaving her body as fast as it had overtaken her faculties and let the dazed woman to slide to the floor.

"The emergency is over boys. The lady will behave from now on. Won't you, my dear?" I asked her.

"Yeah..." she wheezed.

I could sense the fight draining out of her. She was more confused than anything else.

The sergeant in charge of the squad shook his head. He was apparently not convinced. Can't blame him for doing his job.

"You liked the rush of power." I stated.

During our short lived skirmish, I could sense that she enjoyed the feeling of the Dark Side flowing through her. Hell, I usually loved the rush of the Dark Side when I used it too. But that was not the point right now. I knew what I was doing. She didn't.

She studied me for a moment before nodding.

"We will have to work on this temper of yours." I grumbled.

She blinked at me in confusion. There was an innocence in her eyes that one would not expect from the woman who led the attack on the Jedi Temple. Not to mention that before my arrival she did a reasonably good job.

Thanks to our new connection, which I was shielding from my side so she wouldn't be able to take a stroll through my mind, I was able to see the truth of the matter. She was not faking it. Part of her really was just an innocent little girl. One that had a strong connection with the Force and an affinity to the Dark Side to booth.

"What am I to do with you?" I wondered aloud.

Being a babysitter was definitely not on my schedule for the foreseeable future.

She simply stared at me, but remained silent.

After her little temper tantrum, it was clear that ignoring her was not an option. At least not a good one. She needed training, and I needed to make sure that she wouldn't be bored for long. Idle hands and all that.

I gave her a reassuring smile. I should have listened to my own advice. At one point I wanted an apprentice, and now I had my hands full with a pair of them.

"Please sit on the bed. The floor has to be cold." I spoke softly to the girl in a woman's body.

She sprang to her feet and jumped on the hard mattress. Good enough.

"You know, we can't continue calling you Azure. Or hey you."

Her mismatched eyes stared at me. She simply didn't care one way or another.

"How do you want to be known from now on?"

She shrugged, as if it was not important. I could clearly sense her confusion. She was wondering what all that fuss was about.

I once again had the sudden need to strangle the people who had made her the way she was today.

"Aria." I suddenly stated. The name just came to me out of the blue, yet it somehow felt right. It... suited her.

"Aria Astra." I said a bit louder. "How do you like it?"

"Its just a name." she shrugged.

She pursed her lips in thought and nodded.

"It will do." she said in a calm tone, one you would use to discuss the weather.

Despite her outwards indifference, she liked the name. It resonated with something deep within her.

That was something to pursue at later date. When she trusted me more. I decided to change the topic.

"Aria, would you like to tell me what were you taught about the force?"

She bit her lower lip and mumbled something unintelligible.

"Uh huh. A bit louder please."

"Just how to grasp it. To let the Dark Side flow through me."

"Ah." was my intelligent response. This was going to be a very long day.

I could glimpse through our bond that this was more or less the truth. It raised my opinion about her potential even further. With that kind of "knowledge" that she had been given prior to her one way mission to the Temple, she should not have been able to use the Force in the way she actually did.

A very long day indeed, however I just knew that it would be worth it in the end.


	15. Chapter 11 Part 5

****AN: This story was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum: ****PsyckoSama****! Thank you for the great work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 11: The Fires of Ryloth**

**=RK=**

**Part 5**

**Conference Room Alpha, Republic Cruiser Requiem, Task Force "Retribution" flagship, Dark Space, 5 Light Years from Ryloth**

"The Fleet is present and accounted for, sir." reported Commodore Pellaeon. "Data links are established."

"Thank you, Gilad."

He gave me a thoughtful nod. I could see him wondering why I had the Fleet drop out of Hyperspace short of our intended target. While his face was presenting me a dispassionate professional mask, I could see it in his eyes. He was pondering over various reasons that would force me to alter the plan in the last minute.

Of course, he had no way to know that the main reason was very simple. Palpatine was briefed on the original plan, so I had no intention of following it.

One after another, the fleet's Captains appeared around the table. To my left were the ethereal images of Skywalker and Yularen. To the right, on the other side of the physically present Pellaeon was the ghostly figure of Obi-Wan, who was in charge of our ground component.

Two third of the officers gathered for this unscheduled meeting wore the same dark faces.

"What is the emergency?" asked Anakin.

"You'll see. You all know the plan to liberate Ryloth by heart." I declared to the assembled men and women.

They all nodded at me, giving me a long suffered looks, before nodding.

"Well, you can forget all about it. I have reasons to believe that it was leaked to the Seps long before we left for our little excursion." I told them.

Stunned silence reigned for the next few seconds. Then more than a few of my officers who didn't wear Jango Fett's face started shouting over each other.

"Preposterous!" the voice of Captain Krello Lombar rose over the rest.

"Silence!" I barked after listening to them for few seconds.

The sharp tone of my voice made them take notice and they soon subdued.

I glared at Captain Lombar. Figures. He was one of the political appointments within the Navy, whose main call to fame was his close friendship with the Ryloth senator, who in turn was a close friend and supporter of Palpatine. Just to make my life more difficult, said Senator was on visit to Kuat during the attacks on Coruscant, so I couldn't just fire Lombar.

I ignored him for the moment and gazed at the rest of my problem children. Luckily only he was the only one of them commanding a capital ship. The rest of his type were suck on a dozen light cruisers.

During the short time we had to plan Operation "Retribution", the folks that would make trouble had made themselves known. At least most of them. I had suspicion about few more Captains, but nothing concrete. It was not like I could choose the members of the Fleet in this case.

Unfortunately that had left me with a small nucleus of officers in command positions who had gotten their rank thanks only to their political connections, and so far had evaded being sent to the front where their dubious competence could be tested.

With this being the Republic Navy, I couldn't just dismiss them without cause, though if they fucked up sufficiently in the coming battle, their sorry asses were mine. On the other hand, if at least one or two of those turned out to be competent, then I could put them to good use.

"As we speak, the five _CR90_ we have in the Fleet, which are in scout configuration, are making a recon sweep of Ryloth and the CIS fleet blockading the planet. We'll receive their preliminary report in few minutes." I declared.

"You know something." stated Kenobi, who had silently observed the short spectacle.

I smiled at him.

"I suspect." I said. "You all saw the Intel we have about the present enemy forces. One Luckrehulk command ship, a Luckrehulk battleship, twelve Munificents as well as two or three Luckrehulk freighters. That and three to four thousand fighters, which would be the real threat. Our forces should be able to deal with that suffering light casualties."

"We all know that! What's your point general? Our fleet is an overkill against such an enemy!" sneered Lombar.

He was becoming an irritant. Too bad that he still hadn't crossed the line and went into insubordination so I could be finally rid of him.

"What I expect is a significantly larger enemy force. That's why I did my best to gather such a powerful fleet for our excursion. It is the same Force damned reason we are cooling our heels light years from our target while the Corvettes are scouting the opposition! And that is why I am allowing you to shut up, before you cross the line from arrogant idiotism straight into insubordination, Captain Lombar!" I spoke with enough sarcasm to blister the paint from the walls.

"You expect a trap," declared Yularen.

I simply nodded.

"This entire operation is suspect," I grimaced. "The Separatists would have realized from the beginning that such a large operation couldn't be missed, and we would be required to take action. They would have to be stupid not to see it, and considering that we can't afford to believe that they are, the only other conclusion is that they are setting up a trap. The question is do they have the forces on hand to make it an effective one."

A light started blinking on the console built in the table in front of Pellaeon's seat. He pressed few buttons, stared at the screen for few moments and winced, before being able to school his face back to his usual mask of professionalism.

"Sir, the scouts preliminary report just came in." he said calmly.

"By all means, Commodore, enlighten us."

"Long range scans detect one Luckrehulk command ship, two Luckrehulk Battleships, two freighters of the same class and twenty plus Munificents."

Grim silence fell over the room.

"If they don't have reinforcements waiting in space, we all know what the worst case scenario is." I stated.

"Yeah. If those freighters are in fact battleships with full fighter compliment, we'll have serious problems," said Anakin.

"That, with the second battleship could give them up to four thousand five hundred additional fighters!" exclaimed Captain Lombar who had become white as a sheet.

"Add another thousand or so Vultures with the rest of the frigates." interjected Skywalker.

"Its unlikely, that the separatists had so much vultures to spare." one of his "friends" disagreed.

"Nine to ten thousand enemy fighters as a ball-pack figure." muttered Kenobi.

"If the fleet is hit by all of them at once..." someone muttered.

"Don't forget that they can have more fighters based on the planet." Kenobi decided to add his two cents.

"That's not something we are going to allow." I spoke loudly. "Luckily for us, the Vulture droids do not have hyperdrives." I smiled at the officers under my command. "General Kenobi, when the main fleet start its assault on Ryloth, I want the assault ships under your command to jump on a random destination in Dark Space within five light years of our target and wait for the signal. Just in case the CIS has an informant in the fleet and additional forces they can send against your ships. This is what we are going to do..."

**=RK=**

**Luckrehulk Command Ship Procurer, CIS Blockade over Ryloth**

Captain Mar Tuuk was leaning forward in his command chair. Thanks to his data goggles, Wat Tambor, whose hologram was projected in front of him, could not see his narrowed eyes.

"Captain, are you ready?" asked the Foreman of the Techno Union.

"The reinforcements arrived a few hours ago. Our trap is set. I have over twelve thousand fighters waiting for the Republic fleet." answered Tuuk. "We know their forces, we know their plans. When they arrive, I'll have an unpleasant surprise for our uninvited guests." he smiled.

"I am counting on you, Captain. The Republic must not retake this planet! Even if they do, we must bleed them dry first!"

"I'll see to it," said Tuuk, before his nominal superior cut the connection. "Not that any of us has much choice after what those kriffing insane fools did on Coruscant!" the Neimoidian hissed quietly.

Once the news about what really happened on Coruscant circulated through the ranks, it became painfully obvious to all of them that they no longer had any choice except for victory or death. He doubted that the Republic would be in any mood for mercy, so he would grant them none.

If only those accursed imbeciles hadn't used bio-weapons, or at least had managed to be competent enough to just kill off the Senate rather than play stupid games, then the situation would be different. However that was not to be.

He sighed. The war was already changing, and at least some elements of the CIS with it. While he personally didn't care for the rampant enslaving of the locals, Tuuk wasn't blind for the opportunity it represented.

The Republic had to attack, and now, thanks to agents in their government, he knew what his enemy was bringing to the unavoidable battle.

The Captain was confident in his abilities and forces. Mar knew that against almost any Republic commander, he would be victorious, given the advantages he had. Yet, he felt a pang of anticipation.

The Confederation didn't have any records on this new Republic general, besides his recent actions. As such, they had no idea what he would be like in a fleet engagement.

This coming battle was going to be interesting.

**=RK=**

**Republic Cruiser Requiem, Task Force "Retribution" Flagship, twelve light seconds from Ryloth**

The whirlwind of the Hyperspace was replaced with star filled void as the main body of the Fleet jumped back to real space and started accelerating towards Ryloth at a calm pace of five hundred gravities.

Eight Venators and seven Dreadnought Heavy cruisers formed three vertical lines, with the leviathan form of the prototype Imperator-I Star Destroyer _Executrix _in the center. All around them, the escorts, led by the three Flak modified Acclamators _Dauntless, Honor _and _Warspite_, were reforming into defensive formations around the capital ships. Those were twenty seven Carrack light cruisers, all of which were in their anti fighter variant, which were joined by twenty three Arquitens Light Cruisers and twenty seven CR90 Corvettes.

"Launch all fighters." I ordered.

While that was being done, I stared at the holographic display showing the disposition of the fleet and that of the enemy. Normally I would have left a ten to twenty percent fighter reserve, but we were too heavily outnumbered for that. Especially when I was keeping the two Acclamator carriers as well as the Escort Carriers which were just a bunch of converted freighters, and their escorts as reserve.

The armored decks covering the hangars of the Venators slid open and they started disgorging their brood. Part of me wanted to jump in my new fighter and head out with the pilots, but as a Commander of Operation "Retribution", that was not my place.

I wondered how many of the Jedi Generals would have sortied with the fighters if they were in my shoes. It would have been a damn foolish thing to do.

At least this early in the battle. Once the reserves were committed and every fighter out there counted that might change, but for now, my place was on the bridge commanding. Besides, the pilots were in good hands.

"This is General Skywalker. All Wings, form on me. Check your course and stay out of the firing lanes of the big guns."

"This is Blue Leader, affirmative." answered Ahsoka, who had her first independent command in this battle.

Moment later, the holoscreen to my right lit up with green dots showing the fighter Wings which had confirmed their readiness.

Few more seconds passed before the powerful sensors of the fleet could partially burn through the enemy ECM.

One Droid Command ship, three confirmed battleships, six possible freighters and thirty plus frigates. That and more than ten thousand fighters swarming out of their motherships. Our capital ships had near parity in firepower, which meant that a long range duel would see both forces decimated. That was something that the Separatists could afford if it meant the destruction of a fleet like mine in exchange.

My other alternative was to close in, where my light ships could add their guns to the equation, but that would bring us in the range of the enemy fighters and their capital ships lighter guns. It would be a double edged sword. Plus, I was sure that the enemy commander was keeping a reserve too.

Plan A was simple. Draw out the enemy fighters and annihilate them, then deal with their battle line. Of course, if their commander decided to send in his reserve early, that would give me other tactical options.

One thousand four hundred and thirty eight V-19 Torrent Starfighters as well as two Jedi piloted Delta 7 would soon meet nearly ten times their number.

Our Starfighters punched out until two third of them were at medium range from the fleet, forming a screen against the expected onslaught. The rest stayed behind, forming a CAS (Close Space Patrol).

An imaginary line was crossed when the main body of the fleet passed the ten light second mark from our targets.

"Sir, we are in range," informed me Piett, who was monitoring one of the navigation consoles over the shoulder of its clone operator.

"All capital ship, execute fire plan Alpha." I ordered calmly.

Few seconds passed until the order made it through the chain of command and targets were assigned through Requiems data net.

The Venators were divided in pairs, each of which had a separate Munificent as its intended victim and the Dreadnoughts divided in two groups tracking separate targets. The Executrix targeted two of the enemy craft by itself.

A second passed.

Then a light shudder ran through the deck of the _Requiem._ Twelve, dual turbolaser turrets spoke as one. Azure bolts of scarcely comprehensible power, flew at the distant CIS formation. The rest of the Venators, Dreadnoughts and the _Executrix _followed suit seconds later.

At the same time, our escorts started executing erratic maneuvers, making them much harder targets.

The heavy guns of the enemy battleships and frigates answered with a crimson barrage of their own. It was time to start paying the butchers bill.

Enough firepower to decimate continents splashed over straining shields, blinding sensors and scorching hull on the few places where it achieved partial bleed through the defensive fields.

Once they entered optimal range, the Venators shuddered harder as their capital launchers started to unleash their payloads.

Heavy proton torpedoes sped towards their distant targets, guided by both the sensors of the ships that launched them and their internal seekers.

The first casualty of the Battle For Ryloth was a frigate which was under long range assault by _Resolute _and_ Defender. _Her shields failed under the relentless onslaught. Turbolaser shots rained over her superstructure, vaporizing armor and opening compartments to space. The starboard side disappeared under a jagged line of explosions, which shattered the ship.

The next to fall was a second CIS frigate, which was claimed by the _Executrix. _The prototype's heavy Ion cannons of the Star Destroyer battered down her shield with ease, leaving the warship easy pray for the six dual heavy turbolasers targeting her. A single salvo struck the center of the ship and blew her in two amidst a colossal explosion.

Then was the Separatists turn to claim their pond of flesh. The Dreadnought Onderon was battered by six enemy ships which soon stripped down her shields. Their heavy cannons blew its weapons blisters one after another, until a rampant chain reaction ran through her brutalized power grid. Her reactors scrammed in a desperate attempt to save the ship and she fell out of formation as a toothles wreck.

An unlucky Carrack cruiser followed suit when she found herself in the way of a battleship barrage aimed at the Redeemer. The small warship was hit by six heavy turbolaser bolts and was torn apart from enough firepower to vaporize a lesser ship. Few of her crew survived in relatively intact compartments, thanks to the highly modular nature of the ship.

**=RK=**

Anakin hated waiting. Especially while the battle was just starting to rage around him. Both Fleets were throwing at each other enough firepower to devastate a planet, and that was only the beginning. He knew that not only this battle, but the war itself would become much worse.

"General Skywalker, execute Mirror Image." he heard Veil's calm voice over the comm.

"Affirmative. All Mirage elements, form on me. We are going in." Anakin ordered.

Ahsoka and her Blue squadron fell in formation to his right. He was about to lead a force of two hundred and fifty fighters against the swarm of Vultures near the Separatists blockade, in order to encourage them to attack. It was going to be ugly.

"Master, is this one of those suicide missions you are famous about?" asked Ahsoka over a private channel.

Skywalker snorted at his apprentice's question.

"Nah, nothing to worry about, Snips. We've faced worse odds!" he said without thinking things through.

After a moment of silence Ahsoka asked: "When?"

**=RK=**

**Republic Order of Battle for Operation "Retribution":**

**Imperial-I Star Destroyer Executrix (prototype); **It carries only Starfighters and few shuttles; No other craft or any ground forces besides ship security detachment (3000 clone troopers); 300 V-19 Starfighters;

**7 Dreadnaught Heavy cruisers;**

**Venator ****S****tar Destroyers****:**

Requiem – Flagship; Victory; Onderon; Resolute; Defender; Redeemer; Conviction and Coruscant's Pride;

8 Venators in total;

**1088 V-19 Torrent Starfighters; 448 Y-Wing Bombers;**

**Acclamators SA:**

Dauntless, Honor, Warspite – all three are Flak Modified (have half of their main armaments replaced with anti-fighter laser turrets); Leveler and Victorious: carrier refits (120 fighters and 36 bombers;);

2**40 V-19 Torrent ****Starfighters****; 72 Y-Wing Bombers;**

**Light Cruiser****s****:**

**Carrack-Class CL (32);**

**Arquitens-class ****CL**** (23)**

**Frigates:**

**Consular** (Medical) (21)

**Carriers:**

**Escort carriers : PLC 27 (Class A bulk freighter), ** – 3 converted into escort carriers; 200 V-19 Torrent Starfighter carried by each;

**600 V-19 Torrent Starfighters in total;**

**Corvettes:**

**CR90:**Various configurations; (37)

Total small craft strength:

**V-19 Starfighters 2238; Y-Wing Bombers: 520**

General Delkatar Veil's reserve:

**Leveler, Victorious, 3 PLC 27 Carriers escorted by 6 Carrack CL, 10 CR90**


	16. Chapter 11 Part 6

****AN: This story was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum: ****Gatemaster****! Thank you for the great work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**=RK=**

**Phase 11: The Fires of Ryloth**

**=RK=**

**Part 6**

**Blue Squadron, en route to the CIS blockade on Ryloth**

Two hundred and fifty Torrents raced toward the ungodly swarm of droid fighters milling around the CIS fleet. Below them, the capital ships were tearing at each other with bolts of energy more than powerful enough to vaporize any fighter deployed by either side.

The scanners of Ahsoka's Delta 7 beeped, announcing that they had detected heavy proton torpedoes passing under the fighters. She glanced at the readout and smiled.

"This is General Skywalker. Keep it steady, men. Be ready to execute Sucker Punch on my command."

"General Skywalker comes with the most interesting names for the parts of this exercise," muttered Blue Two, known to his friends as Ax.

"Nope. That wasn't Master's idea!" chirped Ahsoka. "It was all General Veil's brainstorm!"

"That figures..." mumbled Blue Four. "Who put that maniac in charge anyway?"

"Do you have problem with our overall commander, Sev?" asked Blue Five.

"Just with our tiny part of his plan," quipped Blue Four. "It requires us to piss off ten thousand or so Vultures. Nah. What possible issue could I have with such orders?" he deadpanned.

"Look it from the bright side, Sev. The General expect at least some of us to survive. After all we need to be in one piece in order to goad the droids to follow us." said Ax.

"It may even work." whispered Blue Three.

**=RK=**

While the fighters were closing in on their targets, the first salvo of Republic heavy torpedoes hit. Seven proton warheads made it through the last ditch defensive fire and the thick fighter screen. They were concentrated on only two ships, both of which were bathed in white hot plasma.

One frigate was struck by four torpedoes. The first three smashed into her armored nose milliseconds from each other, annihilating the forward third of the ship. The last one struck the junction where the bridge pylon and the main hull of the craft met. Its buried itself in the armored hull before detonating. The resulting explosion sent a shock-wave which shattered the whole bridge section and rent a massive crater in the remaining part of the ship. Series of internal explosions tore what was left of the ship apart.

The second Munificent was marginally luckier. The torpedoes hit her port side, with one colliding with the fin sticking from her nose. It blew up, vaporizing the offensive protuberance. The short ranged blast-wave stripped armor plates off the forward section, opening multiple compartments to space. Scores of unfortunate droids were either outright destroyed or sucked out to space.

The two remaining torpedoes blew up over the heavy sloped armor covering the upper half of the frigate. While the blossoming detonations opened huge craters in the side of the ship, they were spread far away from each other, enough to allow the Confederation craft to retain some semblance of structural integrity. She listed to her port side and fell out of formation while her droid compliment fought to contain the fires and power surges threatening to go out of control.

A few minutes later, she was put out of her misery by a barrage of turbolaser fire from the Requiem, which got her sights on the frigate while traversing her guns to aim at her next chosen target.

**=RK=**

**Light Cruiser Stalker, Arquitens-Class**

Commander VLK-531 calmly surveyed the bridge of his ship, where his brethren were efficiently doing their jobs. He was newly promoted as a commanding officer of the Light Cruiser, which for all intents and purposes was a scaled down model of the Venator-Class.

However, he didn't care about that. Volk, as he was more commonly known, was proud of both his ship and crew.

"We are in missile range," said the weapons office.

"Very well," the Commander looked at one of the data feeds from the Flagship. Eight seconds later it blinked green, showing that all Arquitens were in range. That was his que. "Flush all tubes. Maximum rate of fire!" ordered Volk.

It was time to see if the first phase of General Veil's plan was going to work.

A light tremor passed through the deck as the four missile launchers released their deadly contents at the clankers. They ware a part of a staggered salvo send by all of Stalker's sister ships.

**=RK=**

**Blue Squadron, near the CIS blockade, Ryloth**

"Execute Sucker Punch!" barked Skywalker.

"You heard him boys! Go!" ordered Ahsoka.

Two hundred and fifty V-19 Torrents sent a pair of missiles each at the armada of enemy fighters, which were just outside of effective energy weapons range. Yet that didn't stop the machines from opening fire. In the next instant, the Republic Starfighters broke off their headlong charge at the enemy, and separated into two groups, which looped above and below their previous vector. Only two hundred and seventeen of them lived long enough to do so.

Four hundred twenty one droid fighters became prey to the missile strike, one moment "living" and ready for battle and in the next becoming so much short lived stars.

More than a thousand Vultures separated from the swarm and flew in pursuit of the offending enemy Torrents. To their machine intelligence, the outcome was predetermined. Their enemies had made a mistake. By trying to loop back to their lines, the Republic craft had placed themselves in a vulnerable position, where the Vultures could easily out-accelerate and catch them from the rear. Or so they believed.

"Uh-oh..." was sent over the droid network by one of the Vultures leading the pursuit.

Its sensors revealed the truth and it sent the data to its brethren in the last moments of its existence. Not that it was going to do them any good.

The ninety two "light" missiles from the first Light Cruiser salvo had changed their direction and flew in the teeth of the pursuing Vultures. They were followed by the third and fourth spread of heavy torpedoes launched by the Venators. All of which were rigged with proximity fuses.

Usually using such weapons against fighters would be a waste. Blast waves didn't propagate well in space. A warhead that could wipe out anything in the air for dozens of kilometers in atmosphere, was virtually useless in space beyond a few hundred meters, a kilometer at best.

That, however, didn't take into account the spread usually maintained between fighters. With the swarm chocking the space around the CIS capital ships, while flying in such vectors as to be clear from the barrages exchanged by the heavy combatants, the tactical picture was different. The Vultures were vulnerable to proximity kills.

The ordered formations pursuing the fleeing fighters which had executed Mirror Image, flew apart as the droids tried to evade the blast zones of the oncoming missiles.

It was too little too late. For brief seconds, more than a hundred suns were born, lived and died amongst the Vulture formations. When the glare of the proton explosions subdued, the tattered remains of the pursuing fighters could be seen. Eighty one battered droid fighters remained combat effective from one thousand strong.

"Great work men!" exclaimed Anakin. The odds were just evened a bit more.

Unfortunately he doubted that they would be able to do that ten more times. The Vulture swarm was already diffusing, so it wouldn't represent such an easy target again.

"That actually worked..." Blue Five wondered aloud.

**=RK=**

**Luckrehulk Command ship Procurer, CIS Blockade****  
**

"This was creative." muttered Captain Tuuk.

Nearly a tenth of his fighter strength was wiped out by that trap, but he already gave orders which would avoid a repeat performance.

At the same time, three more of his frigates died but they took another enemy Dreadnought and couple of those missile armed Light Cruisers with them. While the exchange was nominally in the enemy's favor, that was only because the Republic capital ships were much tougher than his frigates. A state of affairs that won't last long when the enemy's shields failed.

He looked at the plot. Sure enough, one of the Venator was loosing its shields. The drop of the ships energy emissions was an obvious tell. The eight frigates pounding that cruiser would soon have her gone.

Tuuk checked the distance between the two fleets. They were still at long range from his ships. When the enemy closed to medium range, he would play one of his thump cards.

He watched as the Republic fighters which played bait for the trap reformed, receiving a couple of wings as reinforcements and flew to execute another stinging attack.

The CIS Captain lamented the fact that he had no missile armed interceptors in his fleet. He knew that they were on the drawing boards, but it would be few months at least before the Vulture modification which would be able to carry four missiles could be produced in numbers. At least the specs of the Confed fighter missiles made the ones used by the Republic look like pieces of obsolete junk in comparison.

Not that it helped his situation, when he lacked any of those "wonder" weapons.

The enemy crawled closer, while another two Munificent died in exchange for an enemy light cruiser. Then, two important things happened in quick succession.

First, the shields of one of the Venators failed and the cruiser was promptly turned into a drifting burning hulk by the heavy guns of seven frigates. Second, the enemy fleet passed into medium range.

"The time is right. Call in the reserves. Send them here and here." ordered Muuk, giving the relevant coordinates to his subordinate droids.

"Roger, roger!" answered a command B1, which had its head painted yellow.

"The moment our reserve attacks, send two thirds of our fighters at the heart of the Republic fleet."

Now all Mar could do was wait for the Republic's commander answer, as well as for the right time to play his next card.

**=RK=**

**Republic Cruiser Requiem, Task Force "Retribution" Flagship**

More than a hundred wings of Vultures were already gone. That was just a drop in the bucket. There were too damn many of the buggers remaining.

There were cheers on the bridge as the ninth enemy frigate was consumed by fire, but they were soon subdued as another Arquitens cruiser was shattered. That ship went afoul of the heavy guns of an enemy battleship which promptly swatted it out of the way. However that wasn't the only reason the bridge crew grew quiet.

The Defender, one of Requiem's sister ships space frame cracked after a series of massive explosions engulfed her. I don't know how many times she was struck after her shields failed, but the final salvos that hit her were just too much. She started blowing apart when more than a dozen heavy turbolaser shots hit deep into her structure. The armor that was supposed to protect her was long gone by that point.

The Defender was torn asunder into eleven big pieces, which bled men and air into the unforgiving frozen abyss of space.

Of the seven thousand and four hundred sailors crewing her, it would be a miracle if only few hundred were still alive.

While the men and women under my command fought and died for the Republic, I stood impassive, showing only a calm, professional exterior. I didn't show that I felt the death of my people or how much I loathed it.

The only gift I could give them was to spend their lives as wisely as I could in the cauldron of war.

I felt a shift in the Force, moment before four Munificents slid out from Hyperspace on each flank of my fleet. They were covered with the predatory forms of hundreds of Vultures, which wasted no time and flew away from their motherships.

It was time. The smart thing to do for the CIS commander would be to send most of his Vultures to smash through our fighter screen and hit the fleet, while we were preoccupied with the enemy reserve. That would give me a brief moment of opportunity.

"Call in an Escort Carrier at each flank. I want them to hit those frigates from behind." I calmly ordered.

Internally I fumed. If only I had couple of months to train my rag tag fleet, I would have made this a battle of maneuver, but as it was, I had under my command a force made from parts of multiple different fleets. It was a small miracle that my ships were able to follow my orders to the letter so far.

The only ships I could trust for intricate maneuvers were those that were already part of my fleet as well as the three, two now, Venators under Skywalker's command. However most of those were Venators, and I needed their firepower with the main fleet.

My reserve on the other hand consisted by my handpicked officers, commanding my two Assault Carriers as well as the three converted freighters. Their actions were going to make or break this battle.

The enemy frigates flanking us opened fire the moment they exited hyperspace. They smashed through the light picket of CR90s, blowing up six of the Corvettes, which stood no chance under the concentrated fire of the heavier ships. However their brave sacrifice bought time for the two Escort Carriers I called to jump in behind the Munificents and start launching their deadly brood.

To make the counterattack even sweeter, every one of the carriers was equipped with one shot racks of proton torpedoes. While those were light, the same carried by bombers, the PLC 27s had box launchers holding two hundred each. Each had only two of them, because the logistics corps were not able to provide more torpedoes before Operation "Retribution" was launched. Not without striping weapons from the Coruscant defense fleet which was out of the question after the attack.

Despite the strong image we were showing to the media, the Republic's situation was bad and it would be months, perhaps a year before the economy could be fully geared to a war footing, and most equipment shortages could be met.

The Escort Carriers targeted two frigates each and unloaded their torpedoes at the Munificents rears.

A wave of proton death struck the engines of the Separatists ships and spread from there up their hull. Flowers of blue colored plasma blossomed where the torpedoes impacted. The drive pods of the frigates, couldn't handle the energies battering them and blew up almost in unison, sending their ships tumbling through space.

Two of the frigates suffered catastrophic damage. Their reactors couldn't scram in time. The resulting detonations turned those craft into so much shrapnel, which decimated most of their fighter compliments.

With their work done – weapons expended and four hundred fighters in total launched, the two Escort Carriers jumped into hyperspace. That left the fresh Torrents to brave the fire of the remaining enemy frigates while racing in a tail chase to catch the nearly twice their number of Vultures. Said killing machines were plunging headlong at the Republic fleet, heedless of losses or their pursuers.

I saw all of that on one of the holographic displays showing the space near my main forces, however most of my attention was at the enemy units near Ryloth. I smiled coldly when a wall of about seven thousand odd droid fighters raced towards my Fleet.

"Call in the rest of the reserve. Hammer Blow is a go." I said with a calmness I didn't feel. "Shift to fire plan Beta, and inform Admiral Yularen that he has tactical command of the fleet. I'm heading out."

"Yes, sir." confirmed Pellaeon. I could see the question in the Commodore's eyes.

"Right now I can do more outside, strapped in my fighter's cockpit. I have no more tricks to play, Gilad. May the Force be with you." I said and headed for the armored doors at the back of the bridge.

"And with you, General. Good luck." said Pellaeon.

**=RK=**

**Luckrehulk Command Ship Procurer, blockade over Ryloth****  
**  
Captain Muuk was watching the holographic representation of the battle with a frown. Four of the reserve frigates were already gone, blown up by those damn retrofits! Yet, it meant little. Most of their fighters were out and heading at the heart of the enemy fleet. Even better, most of the anti-fighter escorts the Republic had, were concentrated to the front. That would be painful for the main wave fighters he had sent to strike at the enemy, but Mar had more than enough assets so he could afford the losses.

"New contacts! Critical proximity!" exclaimed one of the droids manning the sensor stations.

Tuuk snarled when the relevant information was displayed into his data goggles. So this is where the rest of the enemy reserve went. The last of the so called Escort carriers were above his fleet with the two Acclamator Assault Carriers at the flanks. They were already launching their fighters and bombers.

"What should we do?" asked one of the droids.

"Sent the rest of the Vultures at these ships. That's why I kept them back," the Captain smiled viciously.

He had nearly three thousand more fighters left. They would swat out of the sky those arrogant fools.

All that time, he didn't stop to think where the republic's bombers were, believing them to be in the safety of the Venator's hangars.

**=RK=**

**Republic Assault Carrier Victorious, CIS Blockade of Ryloth Right Flank**

This was a suicide mission. Everyone on board knew it, but none more keenly than Captain KLR-71, known as Klark.

The attack of the three carriers was a diversion. He knew it and what it meant for him and his crew. Yet, strangely enough, the clone officer was all right with it. If it worked, it would mean that thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of his brothers would live to fight another day.

"I want those sensor sweeps done yesterday!" he barked at the man operating the sensor console.

The three Republic carriers managed to launch their fighter compliments before something bigger than light guns could target them, but that was of no consequence. It appeared that the CIS Commander was declining to take off the pressure from the main fleet. It was the right decision. The three ships from Task Force "Anvil" were doomed anyway. Each of them had about a thousand Vultures converging on their positions with only only a fraction of those numbers in Torrents to meet that onslaught.

It would be a slaughter, just as general Veil had planned. But while the damn clankers were too busy killing them, their fighters were not available to protect the capital ships.

"Its done! We have the coordinates!" shouted the sensor operator.

"Excellent! Transmit them to 'Hammer'!" Klark ordered.

It took ten seconds, in which the bulk of the Vultures were coming closer and closer, while the hundred and twenty Torrents of the Victorious' fighter compliment were dueling with three time their number of enemy starfighters, which were closer to the carriers than the rest.

Before she was swarmed, the Assault Carrier under Klark's command managed to finish off a Munificent which had her shields down.

While the Victorious was being torn apart by waves of vultures, the units of Task Force "Hammer" jumped out from hyperspace to the coordinates provided by the three Republic ships which were sacrificing themselves to create that priceless opening.

**=RK=**

**Republic Cruiser Requiem, Task Force "Retribution"****  
**  
Commodore Pellaeon glared at the Vulture droids which were attacking his ship. They were coming in, guns blazing, and slamming in his precious Requiem at full acceleration. Gilad's eyes narrowed at the enemy fighter which was flying straight at him.

The last ditch defensive fire missed the Vulture and it slammed straight through the windows of the port command tower of the Venator.

At the same time, five hundred and twenty Y-Wing bombers jumped in point blank range of the CIS fleet under the command of Captain Mar Tuuk. It was possible only thanks to the data sent by the three carriers. The bombers jumped on such vectors so that there were no enemy fighters between them and their prey.

**=RK=**

**Order of battle for the CIS Fleet blockading Ryloth:**

**Luckrehulk Command ship Procurer**; 1500 Droid fighters;

**Luckrehulk ****Battleships**: 3; 1500 Droid fighters each;

**Luckrehulk Freighters (lightly armed): **6; 300 Droid fighters each;

**Munificent frigates**:

**Main fleet:** 32; 100 Droid fighters each;

**Reserve fleet:** 8; 150 Droid fighters each;

**Vulture fighter compliment: 12,200**


	17. Chapter 12 Part 1

**AN: This story was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum: ****A_Saroc****! Thank you for the great work!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

****Phase 12: Storm of ********Blood******** and ********Steel****

****=RK=****

****Part 1****

****Task Force Hammer,******** CIS blockade over Ryloth****

All Y-Wing bombers dedicated to Operation "Retribution" exited hyperspace at point blank range of the Confederation fleet. Even better, they returned to normal space on vectors not only clear of enemy fighters, but more than far enough from the nearest Vultures, so they could execute their first attack run without opposition.

Each of the still combat worthy Munificents in the main body of the blockading fleet, all twenty two of them, were pounced on by twenty four bombers. Some of the frigates close in weapons opened fire but it was too little, too late. Only six Y-Wings were unlucky enough to be swatted away by the final defensive fire of their prey, before the rest of the bombers were flying over their targets, unleashing every last weapon they carried.

The bombers moved in waves of six, leaving one lucky CIS ship to be hit by only sixteen Republic small craft.

The weapons of the first Y-Wing group would shatter armor and scorch weapon emplacements, leaving easy to exploit gaps in the defenses of their chosen target. The second and third left the frigates as little more than drifting wrecks, which were engulfed in fire. In most cases the firepower of the last six bombers was almost wasted as they delivered coup de grace to the stricken Munificents.

One minute. That is how long it took for the unopposed bombers to turn once proud ships in so much flotsam. So far the total price for that coup were thirty nine Y-Wings and their pilots.

It was about to rise.

**=RK=**

**Republic Cruiser _Requiem_, Task Force "Retribution"**

Commander Pellaeon stared at the distinctive form of a Vulture droid, which was becoming bigger by the moment. Then it hit the starboard command tower. The live feed of the camera cut of, leaving the monitor shaped like a window go black for a second, before it started showing the images caught by another camera.

Which promptly was cut off too as a whole squadron smashed through the other bridge tower of the _Requiem._ Gilad shook his head. He, and the men working around him should be dead right now. They would be, if it was not for the General's insistence, that they ran the ship from the newly installed CIC, which was deep within the Venator's superstructure.

It took almost a month for the engineers to make what used to be one of the damage control stations and its attached storage rooms in a single, reinforced compartment, not to mention making sure that the cruiser could actually be ran from there.

He took a deep breath. It was worth it. So much for the damn tradition that had directed ship construction for countless millennia!

Pellaeon frowned at the monitors which were showing camera feeds from the outside. He believed that General Veil wanted to make a point when he ordered the engineers to shape said monitors and the walls on which they were placed into an exact replicas of the bridge's windows.

It worked too. Everyone in the CIC was now aware what would have happened if they were up in the standard bridge. Seeing the damn fighters closing in on the windows would leave a lasting impression to every one of them.

The single thing Gilad regretted, was that the _Requiem _was so far the only warship with such modification. Prior to the Coruscant Attacks, most of the brass had been adamant that there would be no need for such an expensive refit, which left the rest of the fleet vulnerable. Unfortunately after the attacks, there wasn't sufficient personnel to do such modifications in the time required. Trying to do so would take a ship out of commission for a month on average, something they could not afford.

On a brighter note, creating a dedicated CIC from which the Republic ships would be commanded, was something that would be required from all new construction. Such modifications were already being made on ships in dock, which would be there for a month or more.

All that, was a cold comfort for the men and women who were about to die today. As things stood no other Venator or Acclamator could be effectively run from anywhere but the bridge.

That was one tradition that was going to bite the Republic Navy in the ass.

"Target that Munificent!" snapped Pellaeon pointing the closest enemy frigate which was flanking the fleet.

Half of the _Requiem's _heavy turrets rotated and unleashed hell upon the charging Confed ship.

Few seconds later, he received confirmation that "Hammer" had jumped in. That should pull out the teeth of the enemy capital ships.

There was only one small problem remaining. That kriffing wall of Vultures which were about to hit the tiny in comparison, fighter force under the command of Skywalker.

At least the CSP was moping out what was left (read not already rammed into Republic cruisers) of the Separatists reserve fighter force.

**=RK=**

**Republic Escort Carrier "Remember Coruscant", CIS blockade over Ryloth**

The hull of the former transport ship was stuck by a wave of suicidal droid fighters. They blew up large chunks of the hastily laid armor, which had been placed over her thin skin. That particularly exercise had just finished couple of days ago. It was a testament to the skill of the engineers who made it possible, that the refit was still relatively whole, despite the punishment she was absorbing

"Keep her steady for few more seconds!" shouted Captain Jole Solo.

His first mate, the Wookie Traaw roared affirmative. The large being's dark, almost black fur shook in unison with their ship, as the old girl took hit after hit. Traaw was an old friend of Jole, who had also volunteered when he figured out what Solo was about to do. The Wookie mentioned something about Jole needing an adult supervision...

Captain Solo and the rest of his crew were all volunteers. He had been more than eager to offer his ship, when a week ago the Republic Navy had put out the call for container transports. They even offered to buy her at a price that exceeded the market one but he had declined that extra payment in exchange of being allowed to retain command.

Few hours later he had been contacted by general Veil himself, who was alternatively being declared as the hero of the day or the infamous man who let most of the senate get killed.

Solo wasn't interested in any of that. What did he care about a bunch of corrupt politicians, when he had buried his little sister and two nephews just days earlier?! They were his closest relatives, and were waiting for his arrival at the spaceport near the Senate Building when it was attacked by the kriffing Separatists!

The biggest piece they found of his family members was an arm! Arm! He had to bury them in sealed caskets which were mostly empty.

So he spoke with the General, and they reached an agreement. Solo enlisted in the Republic Navy and waited for a chance to get the vengeance he craved.

Skip forward about a week or so, and here he was, comanding his old girl. She had been refitted as "Escort Carrier" and given teeth. Now he was a part of an all volunteer crew, participating in what for all intents and purposes was a suicide mission.

It was irrelevant. He would take another piece of the Separatists scum, even if it was the last thing he'll ever do!

By all Nine Hells of his beloved Corellia, he had already hurt the bastards more than he had prayed to achieve! The bombers were already jumping in, ready to savage the clankers!

But it was not enough! The fighters his ship had deployed were fighting for their lives and would buy him few more precious moments. _Remember Coruscant _still had her light torpedoes. She was darting at full speed at the back of an enemy battleship which itself was a converted Luckrehulk freighter. Its heavy guns were already traversing and tracking the much lighter ship. Solo smirked viciously. Only few of them would be able to shoot at his girl before it was too late.

"We are in range!" shouted his weapons officer.

"Fire!" spat Solo.

The converted container ship screamed as heavy turbolasers cut through her lighter shields and impaled her hull. The rear section of the ship was reduced to ruble but it wasn't enough to stop her.

Captain Solo's head met the deck, before everything went black.

The Escort Carrier spat one hundred seventy five torpedoes (one of the box launchers was gone thanks to a Vulture which kamikazed the ship), and continued on her previous trajectory. _Remember Coruscant _was aimed straight at the main junction between the sphere and the rest of the Luckrehulk battleship.

Light guns started eating through her shields, but only three heavy turbolaser clusters could bear on the ship. However, those were able to shoot only twice before they and most weapon emplacements on the upper half of the heavy capital ship were annihilated by a wave of torpedoes.

**=RK=**

"What kriffing piece of junk hit me?" moaned Captain Solo.

He felt almost as bad as that time few years ago, when he ended drinking a whole bottle of aged Corellian brandy.

"Rwooarrwt!" someone roared.

"Told me so?! About what?" Solo grumbled.

He opened his eyes, which was even more painful for his abused head and blinked owlishly at Traaw. The Wookie was pointing his huge paw towards the window of the escape pod.

Outside, the shattered remains of _Remember Coruscant _slammed into the scorched leviathan that had destroyed the Escort Carrier.

After the massive torpedo strike, this was one abuse too many. The huge battleship was torn in two huge pieces, which tumbled through space. The sphere where the reactor was still working, was relatively intact but its few still operational weapons were useless while she was floating aimlessly through the aether.

Far behind it, the main hull of the Luckrehulk, was a flaming wreck, which while still had about a third of its heavy weapons intact, hadn't enough power to use them.

"Look at that kriffing son of a bitch go!" cheered Solo.

He was smiling for the first time since his sister and nephews were murdered.

Traaw answered Jole with a triumphant roar which nearly deafened him.

**=RK=**

**Assault Carrier _Victorious, _CIS blockade over Ryloth**

"All hands, abandon ship!" coughed Klark.

The bridge of the modified Acclamator was turned into pandemonium. Three Vultures had struck the command tower near simultaneously, wrecking most of it. By some miracle, the bridge itself was still airtight but the shock-waves had caused the power system to overload, blowing up relays and couple of consoles which were struck by power-surges. Three of his brothers were dead as a result.

Damn the kriffing lowest bidder! This was the real world and not some stupid holodrama! Such things were not supposed to happen!

"Watch out!" shouted the navigation officer.

Klark turned his head towards the windows behind him. He died with a curse on his lips, when a Droid Fighter smashed through the bridge before exploding. Klark's last thought was to thank the stars that his ship had only skeleton crew.

On the other side of the blockade, the crippled _Leveler _had done her job and tried to evade the heavy guns of the closest battleship. A relentless barrage wrecked her starboard side, sending the Assault Carrier into uncontrolled spin. She would end her doomed flight in the upper atmosphere of Ryloth where she would be torn asunder during the reentry. Pieces of the _Leveler _would rain all over the northern hemisphere of the planet.

**=RK=**

**Republic Cruiser Relentless_, _Task Force "Retribution" Flagship**

Admiral Yularen cursed whoever first introduced the exposed bridges used by everyone's warship designers. Two _Venators, Conviction _and _Coruscant's Pride,_ were drifting out of control. The third cruiser which was similarly stuck – _Requiem, _continued to fight as if nothing had happened, despite having both its command towers sheered off by repeated Vulture strikes.

When this battle was over he would insist that all ships under his command were outfitted with dedicated CICs. If he lived that long.

The Admiral stared at the plot. Of the enemy's reserve, only one frigate, which was being blasted to pieces remained as well as twenty odd fighters, which were being hunted down by the CSP. However, the price has been heavy. Hundred twenty one Torrents were lost and all cruiser in the fleet were damaged, thankfully most had only few weapon emplacements missing. But if that was the damage dealt by nine hundred odd Vultures, then what horror could be wrought by almost eight times that number?

The wall of Droid Fighters would strike the bulk of Torrents commanded by Skywalker in seconds. The Jedi general wouldn't be able to stop them. They were just too many of those things.

The Vultures were coming in for a suicide run, accelerating all the way. The damage each of them would cause, would make the previous attack pale in comparison.

"I want that frigate silenced, then shut down the heavy weapons and divert the power to shields and anti fighter guns. Then brace for impact." ordered Yularen.

**=RK=**

**General Skywalker's Delta 7 Interceptor**

Anakin let the Force flow through him, preparing himself for the coming onslaught. This was going to be ugly. Outnumbered seven to one, Skywalker knew that he wouldn't be able to stop even a third of the coming Vultures. He had only nine hundred and seventeen fighters, with the rest of the Torrents flying as a CSP for the fleet at his back. He prayed that the escorts and Veil's last surprise would be enough, if not all capital ships were going to be shattered.

He took a deep breath.

"Here they come! Open fire!" ordered Skywalker.

He sent two missiles at the swarm of dark metal which seemed to fly straight at him and opened fire with his laser cannons. His fighter force, which was nothing to sneeze at, no matter how outnumbered they were, followed his lead.

"May the Force be with you, Master!" he heard Ahsoka's voice before her squadron entered the fray.

"And with you, Snips. Stay safe." he whispered.

Then there was no time for anything but fighting for his life.


	18. Chapter 12 Part 2

**AN: This story was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum:****hpackrat and PsyckoSama****! Thank you for the great work!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

****Phase 12: Storm of ********Blood******** and ********Steel****

****=RK=****

**Part 2**

**Task Force "Hammer", CIS blockade of Ryloth****  
**  
As per their orders, the Republic bombers finished their attack run and headed towards the Command ship. That would be their last target, and after it was silenced, they would retreat to hyperspace.

The V-19's launched from the three carriers that were attacking the blockading fleet, were doing their best to tie up the Vultures, so that the bombers could execute one last attack before the thousands of enemy fighters could cut them to pieces.

It worked. Mostly. The Y-Wings, which had targeted frigates close to the CIS heavy hitters, barely managed to reach the command ship before a wave of Droid fighters jumped them. The clone pilots and their gunners braved the fire and death spat from the vengeful Vultures and defensive weaponry of the battleships.

From the two hundred and nine bombers, one hundred seventy five lived long enough to hit the Command ship. They unloaded their remaining torpedoes at the huge craft and overflew its superstructure with guns blazing.

Hundred and three Y-Wings survived to try escaping to hyperspace.

The Republic bombers which originally attacked frigates further away from the battleships, fought valiantly but were unable to reach the battle-wagons. Nearly two thousand Vultures swarmed them.

The only silver lining was that by diverting those Droid Fighters, some of the surviving Torrents were allowed to flee.

Five hundred and twenty Y-Wings as well as four hundred and forty V-19 attacked the CIS battle line, decimating it. They also took with them nine hundred fifty nine Vultures.

Forty one bombers and sixty seven fighters survived long enough to retreat.

**=RK=**

**Luckrehulk Command Ship Procurer, CIS blockade over Ryloth****  
**  
Captain Mar Tuuk glared balefully at the information fed into his data goggles. He kriffed up. He'd made one bad call. One flawed assumption, and it was going to cost him his fleet. Oh, he would keep the Republic from achieving their objective, but that was no comfort for him. It might save his carrier but he'll be lucky to ride a desk until the end of the war.

He ordered two thirds of his escorting fighters towards those damn bombers, but he knew it would be largely futile. This was a damn trap and he had fallen into it! It was his kriffing fault for assuming that those Y-Wings were still on board of their motherships! He knew that the Republic small-craft had hyperdrives, damn it!

But to execute such a precise tactical jump! It was risky, kriffing suicidal even! Or would have been...

He shook his head in a grudging admiration. It all made sense!

Those three escort carriers were not sacrificed in vain! They would soon die, but the damage was already done. They had scanned his fleet and the space surrounding it, and sent jump coordinates to the bombers.

Now it was time for the hammer to fall. In quick succession, Tuuk's frigates went off the grid.

Now it was all over but the moping up. The bombers would soon be done for and he'll watch how his Vultures tear apart the Republic fleet...

"Sir! The bombers are coming our way!" exclaimed one of the droids.

"They won't make... it..." stuttered the Captain, before he saw one of the battleships flanking his Command ship, being torn in two when a Republic carrier rammed it! Were those people insane?!

Mar frantically started struggling with the security harness on his chair. He had to strap himself in before it was too late!

The behemoth that was the Procurer shuddered as wave after wave of Y-Wings tore into the battleship's hull. She lurched to the port as her armor was breached, and whole wings of bombers unleashed hell into the chink in her defenses.

The light and data feeds abruptly cut off, causing the Captain to bathe in cold sweat. This was the longest minute in his life.

When the onslaught ended, Tuuk was left in a drifting wreck, which had no communication with the outside world. Only the emergency power was on, bathing the bridge in sinister red light.

Mar looked around, and saw that the B1 droid crew was largely intact and milling around their dark consoles.

"Orders, Captain?" asked the yellow painted droid commander.

"All organic personnel are to abandon ship." snapped Tuuk, while trying to get out of his harness. He no longer felt confident in the outcome. He thought for a moment how long it would take him to reach an intact escape pod. "Give that order in sixty seconds." he growled at the poor droid.

Tuuk had to get off the crippled ship before the Republic battle line managed to finish it off.

**=RK=**

**Blue Squadron, Near Task Force "Retribution"**

Ahsoka sent her Interceptor into a spin, desperately trying to evade the fire of dozens, perhaps hundreds, enemy fighters. Her gloved thumb was clamped on the trigger for her Delta 7's cannons, which were sending a stream of blue death at the droids trying to kill her and her men.

Her blasterfire blew up a Droid fighter, then a second and a third in quick succession. Yet for every one she downed, two more were taking its place. Behind Ahsoka, her squadron was flying in close formation, sending missiles and laser bolts at the offending Vultures.

It was a scene repeating itself dozens of times, all along the front of the oncoming swarm.

The Torrents took first blood by salvoing close to two thousand missiles at the armada of enemy machines. Significant parts were shot down by a wall of crimson fire, others homed in on the same fighter. Many detonated prematurely when striking fragments of already destroyed Vultures.

Despite all that, the clone pilots reaped an impressive harvest! One thousand one hundred thirty three enemy fighters lit up the eternal night of space with their funeral pyres.

That was the easy part, something everyone knew. After the first missile volley, the Vultures were upon them. The skirmish was short and brutal.

Fifteen seconds. That's all it took for the droid formation to pass through the Republic fighters trying to stop them. Men of flesh and blood met with beings of cold logic, electronics and steel, in a whirlwind of fire and death.

After becoming an Ace once today, Ahsoka blew up her sixth Vulture for the battle, starting a second tally. She aimed at the seventh and pressed the trigger, before banking up in a futile attempt to evade the enemy. The Force was screaming warnings, and she could feel where the danger laid. The padawan trusted her instincts, weaving her Interceptor between lines of scarlet laser fire, yet it was not enough.

In a perfect moment of clarity, Ahsoka knew that the Jedi's foresight could be as much curse as a blessing. She could see in her mind where the droids' blasterfire would go. Her reflexes were better than even those of the machines she was facing.

Her squadron tried to protect her. They flew at the enemies attacking their leader and managed to buy her a few more seconds. One after another, the members of Blue Squadron perished, turned to space dust as their fighters became funeral pyres.

First to go was Sev, after smashing two more Vultures. His brothers followed suit in the span of moments until only Ax remained. He launched his last two missiles, then proceeded to blast another Droid fighter with his cannons.

With his last breath, he took out one final enemy, when his V-19 annihilated both itself and the Vulture it struck headlong.

She felt them all die in the Force. Even the two who were fast enough to eject in time, were extinguished moment later. Their loss hit her hard, causing her to feel almost physical pain. It broke her concentration for a moment. Her deep connection with the Force wavered and she missed the last opportunity to evade the incoming enemy fire.

After that, her supernatural reflexes were irrelevant. Her Delta 7, simply wasn't agile enough to evade all the fire directed at her. Despite all that, the sacrifice of her squadron meant everything. She found herself into an impossible situation for only few seconds, before the CIS fighters moved away. In that brief slice of time, Ahsoka became the target of a hundred or so machines.

The right wing of her fighter shattered as if it was made of glass. Its nose was speared by a long line of laser bolts, which blew huge chunks of armor and delicate machinery away. It was a small miracle that the fighter didn't explode up there and then.

In a desperate bid for survival, Ahsoka used the force to eject. She knew that her hands wouldn't be fast enough.

She was slammed back into her pilot seat as it was blown away from her dying ride. She channeled all desperation in fueling her telekinetic strength to guide the chair she was strapped to around a hail of laser bolts. Then she pushed herself away from being splattered all over the space frame of a Vulture which flew past her face.

Below her, the mortally wounded Delta 7 exploded, followed by a nearby Droid Fighter. She was touched by the edge of the blast-wave, but mercifully enough, no shrapnel punctured her suit. Before loosing consciousness, she thanked the Force and Delkatar for the sealed suit he had insisted she wear during the battle.

**=RK=**

Anakin cursed when he felt Ahsoka's presence dimming. She was knocked out and hurt, however he could do nothing to help her right now. He had to suppress an un-Jedi like rush of fury, which threatened to engulf him. He knew that loosing it here and now was likely to get him killed.

Skywalker snarled and blew another enemy fighter which had the unfortunate luck of passing in front of his interceptor. Those kriffing machines had hurt his apprentice! His friend!

He remembered what happened in the Senate. Instead of continuing his attempt to suppress his fury, he let it flow through him, fueling the Force, which he used to further enhance his reflexes.

He pulled off such a sharp turn that the frame of his Delta 7 groaned in protest, but he ignored it and lined up in his sights a squadron of Droid fighters. His laser cannons tore through the offending machines, and he felt a fierce satisfaction of his small victory.

When the short explosion of the last one cleared away, Anakin searched for another target but found none.

The Vultures were speeding away, continuing their self-destructive charge at the fleet. He scowled at the machines and raced after them, followed by the remaining Republic fighters.

The short skirmish saw the destruction of six hundred eighty six Torrents and two thousand five hundred forty seven Vultures.

Anakin wasn't aware of those numbers, but that was irrelevant, There were too many of the kriffing machines remaining, and all his channeled anger wouldn't make his fighter go fast enough.

**=RK=  
**

**General Veil's Custom Delta 7B, Task Force "Retribution"**

By the time I'd made my way to the hangar and launched, most of the Vultures attacking the fleet had either rammed or were blasted to pieces.

That didn't stop me from claiming a few kills. I pounced on a squadron of the Droid fighters, which were making beelines to the remains of the Requiem's command towers. I smiled under my helmet at the way my Interceptor was handling, when I executed a sharp turn and found myself at the tail of the enemy formation.

Few short bursts later and the Vultures were turned into a bunch of disintegrating wrecks. Most of them blew up, raining cooling debris at the cruiser, with only one remaining sufficiently intact to slam in the heavy upper armor. Its only effect was to leave a small dent.

The fighters of this era were nice pieces of equipment. I especially liked my new custom ride, however that didn't stop them feel somewhat lackluster. Here I was, four thousand years in the future, and the standard small craft of both sides didn't even have shields! To be honest I expected so much more! The fact that I could just jump in any given bird of this era and fly without any additional training was telling. Where was the progress?! The amazing new equipment one would expect?!

I helped the CSP to mop up the remaining Vultures and had them reform between the capital ships and the escorts.

While we were dealing with the enemy reserves and reforming after that, the main attack had passed through the fighter screen commanded by Skywalker and was heading our way. Hope that my preparations were sufficient and wait to play my last card. I had kept the escort ships which should have been deployed with my own reserve back.

Six additional Carrack Light Cruisers and ten CR90 Corvettes waited my signal to join the defense line. It won't be long now. The swarm of enemy fighters was just entering into range of my other surprise...

It all began few months ago, when the three Acclamators under my command were being refitted into anti-fighter role. I disagreed with the Navy engineers. They believed that gutting half the heavy cannons of the Assault ships and replacing them with light laser guns would be enough. I beg to differ with such a statement. My problem was that even if all other weaponry was replaced with flak guns it still wouldn't be enough. Not for dealing with the swarms I believed the enemy could deploy if pressed. Besides such a radical refit would need a major redesign of the cruiser's power distribution network, which would place them in dock for a lot longer that I could afford.

That led me to visit the R&amp;D department of the Navy, where I checked some of the concept for dealing with enemy fighters, which were not approved by the brass for one reason or another.

One of the concepts I came through with was something that would be familiar to the wet navies of my Earth, which was few dimensions away. It was to stuff Acclamators or Venators with racks of VLC tubes, advanced sensors and shoot a lot of missiles at the enemy. It would turn the ships in something akin to an Aegis cruiser's big brother. While the heart of the system – the fire control computers and those processing all the data needed to defeat the enemy ECM were deep within the hull of the cruiser, the additional sensor arrays and the box missile launchers were bolted on the hull.

The downside was that the additional sensors and the anti-fighter missiles were relatively expensive. Just one missile cost as much as the combat load of a V-19. Combine that with the fact that so far the CIS were not deploying even close to the maximum fighter strength their ships could carry (I blamed that on Palpy's meddling), and it made clear why the system was not deployed. Damn, there were a few prototypes but no one seemed interested at mounting them on ships.

That changed when the refit of the Dauntless, Honor and Warspite began. It took a lot of bargaining to have the system, which was called Guardian, installed and supplied with missiles. I had to give credit to the creators of the system, though a success would see it build and installed through the fleet, which will make the bastards filthy rich. Not to mention that until the end of the war those folks wouldn't have any problems with getting their new prototypes tested.

Now it was time to put it to the test. My one regret was that each of my three Assault Ships had only a thousand missiles.

When the Vultures entered range, it seemed that the front of the Acclamators disintegrated. Their forward third disappeared behind the violet glare of hundreds of engines.

The Guardian Prototypes could guide two hundred missiles each at separate targets. Even better, they could burn through the ECM carried by the Droid Fighters at relatively long range. However, the missiles we had at this time were not designed for the role. They were relatively dumb. Even with a combination of the ship's massive targeting systems and the Guardian designed for defeating fighter ECM as well as tracking such an agile targets, the success rate was average.

However, not everything was going our way. In a standard engagement, the Guardian would have much longer time to track the targets and shoot them down. That was a big problem because the current iteration of the system had trouble tracking close targets. It simply wasn't designed for that. With the enemy coming in under constant acceleration...

By the time the Vultures were too close to make the missile strikes no longer effective, each Acclamator had fired half their magazines at the coming swarm. Most of those missiles actually hit their targets, creating the illusion of a fire wall heading our way.

Over a thousand Vultures were claimed by the Guardian system, making it a favorite of mine. If I had anything to say about it, which I did, there would be a lot of money thrown into producing and improving it.

That was not the end of the Vulture's troubles. It was time for them to run through the Escorts gauntlet.

First to open fire were the Carrack's, followed by the Arquitens and CR90's. The cold night of space was light up by green and blue laser show and the Acclamators promptly added their own gunfire to the spectacle.

Fighters died by the scores, yet the machines came at us regardless. Some of the droids calculated that it would be prudent to reduce the amount of incoming fire and redirected their flight path at the escorts.

A Carrack staggered under two kamikaze impact, the combination of detonating fuel cells and sheer kinetic impact taking their due. It fell out of formation with its gun silenced but mostly intact thanks to its highly compartmentalized interior. One of her sister ships was not so lucky. She was shattered when a whole squadron hit her in the space of three seconds. Even her over-engineered structure couldn't survive such abuse. The Light Cruiser disappeared in a bright explosion.

There were no survivors, and she wouldn't be the last to fall this day. An Arquitens followed into oblivion, then another.

Corvettes were left as drifting hulk after a hit or two, and the day's bloodletting was far from over.

"Here they come! Choose your targets and May the Force be with you!" I said.

Few seconds later, they were in range. My Interceptor leaped forward, carried by its powerful engines, and I opened fire with the missiles with which I had it modified. Eighteen fire and forget weapons leaped from their box launchers, which I hastily ejected once they were empty, in order to reduce the weight. They had for company the missiles sent by the four hundred and seventeen fighters riding on my heels.

"Jump now!" I ordered the remains of my reserve, moments before my Delta 7 was engulfed by the whirlwind of close range combat.

As the fighters under my direct command met the tattered remains of the enemy Vulture swarm, the remaining Light Cruisers and Corvettes jumped behind. Straight between the enemy and the capital ships.

My laser cannons sliced in two one of the leading Vultures. I spun my Interceptor between the fire sent my way by two of his friends, which I blew away with precise bursts.

All around me, the void was filled with exploding fighters.

I destroyed another target and winced when my brand new astromech droid lost its head to a close miss. I blasted the damn machine which came close to shooting me down and then there were no more targets in my sight.

I made a sharp turn, guiding my Interceptor towards the fleet. I could see on my scanners that the Acclamators had turned to the side, and shooting more missiles at the tails of the Vultures. Few might even catch them before they hit the core of my fleet.

The Droid fighters blew through my second line of escorts, taking some of them out. Over seven hundred remained to strike the umbrella of close in defense weapons of my capital ships.

We were hot on their tails, but there was no way to catch up in time.

All I could do was to watch as the drama unfolded. Few hundred more Vultures were brushed out of the void. A hundred or so were damaged by close misses so they didn't succeed in ramming my ships.

All that was not enough. Just as I knew it won't be.

When all was said and done, it would be estimated that just over three hundred Droid fighters made it through everything we were able to throw at them. They struck my ships with tremendous force, leaving only carnage behind. And while all that was happening, the two still intact CIS battleships never stopped shooting at us.

First to suffer were the Dreadnaughts, which were forming the front line. One was destroyed thanks to series of lucky hits at a few weak points, causing chain reaction. Its reactor failed to scram and took the ship with it. Another three were left as drifting wrecks, which had their weapons and sensors stripped from their battered hulls.  
By the grace of the Force, the last one somehow remained unscratched.

Then it was the turn of the Venators. All of them were hit with the exception of the two drifting out of control. Their heavier armor fared much better. Only Onderon was destroyed after taking sixty nearly simultaneous hits at the area over its reactor. Something went wrong, because the tough armor over that area should have been able to handle such an abuse. The cruiser simply blew up spectacularly. What caused it to go up in such a way would remain a mystery.

She was lost with all hands.

That didn't meant that the rest remained unscratched. Armor buckled and was shattered, weapons were torn from their moorings or outright destroyed. Various systems were wrecked from the repeating hammer blows, and thousands were dead or injured on board.

Redeemer was left as a drifting hulk, and on the Resolute, Admiral Yularen and his staff survived only because he found it prudent to evacuate both command towers before the enemy struck. Those structures were flaming wrecks, which had damage control teams trying to cut them off the rest of the ship.

The Requiem as well as the Conviction and Coruscant Pride were left largely untouched, because the Vulture's programming deemed them a lesser threat once the loss of their bridge towers was noted by the machines.

The Executrix was not that lucky. At the start of the onslaught, her heavy anti-fighter defenses laughed at the incoming Vultures. That was until a lucky one managed to smash into one of the two massive shield domes. That was noticed by the remaining Droids assaulting her. Then that behemoth was struck by full hundred and forty kamikazes, which fell on her like rain.

Even then her tough armor shrugged hits which tried to brutalize her upper superstructure beyond recognition. It appeared the Executrix and her class would become the face of the Republic's might.

Then everything went to hell. Her shield domes blew up in titanic explosions and the waves of Vulture droids started finding multiple weak points the hard way. When the storm of steel and fire was over, the Star Destroyer was left as a little more than a drifting wreck. The huge tower here her bridge and shield generators used to be located were shredded beyond belief.

The Droid fighters which survived delivering that hammer blow were viciously hunted down and annihilated with extreme prejudice.

I headed back to the Requiem after ordering SAR teams to be deployed. I still had work to do. There were two battleships and another two thousand or so enemy fighters as well as those six big ass transports to deal with before the liberation of Ryloth could begin.


	19. Chapter 12 Part 3

**AN: This part was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum: ****DaLintyGuy****! Thank you for the great work!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

****Phase 12: Storm of ********Blood******** and ********Steel****

****=RK=****

**Part 3**

**Republic Cruiser Requiem, Task Force "Retribution" Flagship**

"Skywalker! Guide the SAR bird to Ahsoka and then get your ass back to the Requiem. We still have clankers to deal with." I snapped into my comm.

Ever since the threat of the massive Vulture wave had passed, he had been frantically calling for someone to rescue the kid. It was getting irritating, and even besides that the moment I noticed that she was shot down I had sent a shuttle to retrieve landing in the Requiem, I took the scenic route so to speak, noting the state of my capital ships.

It was a bloody disaster. I didn't really believe that the damn Vultures would be a major threat if it wasn't for those never sufficiently damned exposed bridges! I was wrong. Two thirds of my fleet was stripped off its heavy guns, and had its armor either weakened or shattered. How the hell the damn fighters had managed to blow up _the Onderon_, I'll never know.

I thought about my remaining forces. There were at least a few escorts that would do what I ordered them to do without screwing it up. And the Requiem, while missing a third of her weapons was still combat capable. Further, I had one intact Dreadnought as well as Conviction and Coruscant's Pride, which were virtually untouched aside from the total loss of their bridges and command staff.

That left those two Venators in interesting positions. They no longer had nav computers or central control, but still could fight... if not all that well. There was no one left to coordinate their weapons. But if their engineering received coordinates from another ship, they could still jump...

Before reaching the CIC I ordered recall for what remained of "Hammer."I went next to Pellaeon, who was examining the fleets status report. After the Relentless lost its bridge, command of the fleet had went to the Commodore, at least until Yularen, who had thankfully survived, could make his way here."

We took a hammering, sir." stated Gilad.

"That we did." I said studying the fleet's status for a few seconds I had a very rough plan in place.

"I want the three Guardian equipped Acclamators as well as escorts to jump at maximum missile range of those two battleships. Their targets are the remaining Vultures. Our surviving Torrents will support them. Once what's left of our bombers rearm aboard of this ship, we'll execute a tactical jump and cover them while they attack the battleships. When the heavy guns of those behemoths are gone, they will be easy to take down."

"Sir! General Kenobi hailing us." Spoke the lieutenant manning the comm station.

"Patch him through." Answered Pellaeon.

The image on one of the screens, which was showing a camera feed, was replaced by Obi-Wan and Cody, who had mostly recovered from the crash. My fellow general's face was grim.

"I'm glad to see you made it. We watched the live feed of the battle." he shook his head in exasperation. "What assistance can we provide?"I glanced at the sensor readouts of the remaining CIS space forces.

"We can use the Negotiator when taking out those battlewagons. You have seventy two bombers, right?"

"That's right. Also forty two Torrents and the rest of the ground units of the 221st. "

"I can definitely use that. Besides, we might need your boys for those six freighters. While lightly armed and shielded, they may have locals on board." I smart thing to do would have been to get those big fat targets out of the battlezone.

"Here is what we are going to do..."

**=RK=**

**Assault Ship Dauntless, approaching CIS blockade of Ryloth**

Admiral Yularen, who had insisted on taking command over the force which would deal with the remaining Vultures, had taken his flag to the _Dauntless_.

Meanwhile, the main body of the fleet with more than half of the remaining escorts was under the command of General Veil and Commodore Pellaeon, who were coordinating battlefield the last half hour, the mostly intact Venators had taken pounding, while they dueled with the two battleships. That at least had proved to all that the remaining CIS forces were under the command of droids, not particularly bright ones too.

Any commander worth his salt, would have concentrated on the disabled republic cruisers, denying their further use to the enemy. It wasn't like the three Venators still retaining most of their heavy weapons could deplete the massive shields of the battleships any time was a mistake the Separatists would regret.

The _Dauntless_, _Warspite _and _Honor_, bracketed by their escorts, which consisted by the light ships with the best captains and crew, executed a tactical jump a short distance outside of effective missile range of the remaining escorts tightened their formation around their charges, and the Republic ship moved slowly forward.

"Open fire." ordered Yularen.

By the time the order came, the Guardian systems had scanned the enemy fleet, shared data and assigned targets for their weapons. Missiles jumped from their VLS launchers and raced towards their prey.

At the same time, the surviving and rearmed Torrents, which were reconstituted in makeshift squadrons after the brutal mauling they suffered during the previous engagements of the battle, emerged out of hyperspace behind the Republic flotilla attacking the Vultures.

An organic commander, might have decided that cutting out his losses and getting away might be the prudent thing to do. Especially when he figured out that his remaining fighters were going to be droids in charge of the CIS fleet's remnants had other ideas. Their orders were to defeat the Republic fleet. So that was what they were going to do. Or at least try. The Vultures were ordered to soften up the attacking force, while the battleships maneuvered to get better firing angles at the new contacts which were well into their engagement envelopes.

Over Ryloth, hundreds of short lived stars could be seen appearing and blinking out of existence. For a second time the Guardian systems proved their worth, reaping a frightful harvest from the enemy fighters. The Torrents flew above the Republic formation and headed towards their CIS equivalents, ready to salvo their own missiles in a repeat of the earlier harassing tactic used by their brethren.

Before the V-19's engaged within gun range, the Vultures were cut almost in half, demonstrating for all to see the great disadvantage the Droid had. It was their glaring lack of longer ranged weaponry than their built in laser cannons. The missile strike sent by the Republic small craft shattered what was left by the enemy squadrons, before the Torrents looped to the side, leaving the tattered remnants of the once two thousand strong force to smash against the fire of eleven Carrack's and the AA guns of the Acclamators.

Before the surviving Vultures could ram the three Assault Ships, the V-19s fell over them like a hammer, sending a second salvo at their tails. This time the enemy craft had not build in enough speed to escape the Torrents engagement envelope before striking the fleet.

Only eleven Droid fighters were lucky enough to kamikaze the Republic ships, none of which hit a critical location. The Acclamators could manage well enough without couple of heavy guns and few missing AA emplacements, especially now, when the CIS fighter force was gone.

_"The Battle for Ryloth (its space component) will enter the history as the point when both Starfighter and bomber doctrines had to change. The widespread use of the Guardian system by the Republic and the Defense Net introduced by the Confederation of Independent systems two months later (which was based on stolen Guardian plans) would change the face of Naval warfare during the next year of the conflict know as the Clone Wars..."_

Extract from "Naval Warfare History Volume XXVIII", published by the Axxanis military academy

**=RK=**

**Red Squadron, 71st Bomber Wing, CIS blockade over Ryloth**

Lieutenant FLK-256, who was usually called Falk, pushed a level and his Y-Wing jumped out of hyperspace. He glanced at his sensors readouts, confirming that his craft was at the correct coordinates, and that the surviving bombers from "Hammer" flight were around him.

"Lets do it once again boys." He said in his comm unit.

In the next moment Falk forced his bird's engines, and the Y-Wing flew forward, accelerating towards its target. The battleship grew closer, its lighter guns opening fire at the scratch force heading its way.

The forty one bombers, all that survived the initial anti-shipping strike, hurled themselves at the of the Lieutenant's craft were obliterated by laser cannons while closing to the huge Luckrehulk. The rest of his scratch force darted near the behemoth's hull, sending proton torpedoes and energy blasts at vulnerable areas.

The heavy turbolaser guns were singled out with extreme prejudice, each receiving a warhead or two, turning them in so much flaming confetti. Secondary targets were the lighter anti-ship guns and AA weapons, which were struck with the Y-Wings' cannons or the odd the bombers finished their attack run, they pulled away from their burning target, and jumped into hyperspace, evading the impotent fire from the crippled leviathan and its sister ship.

At the same time, the seventy two bombers which rode out the battle in the safety of Negotiator's hangers, jumped near the other battlewagon. They repeated the exercise, delivering even more damage to the second both bomber forces left the battlefield, they left behind fifteen of their number, and two crippled capital ships.

Meanwhile, all Republic warships capable of it moved into weapon range of the two ships, and continued to bombard the battleships. One of the Acclamators was moderately damaged, a Venator, _Coruscant's Pride _received additional light damage, and three escorts were mission killed – one unfortunate Carrack, which was mauled by a damaged heavy turbolaser cannon, which was brought back online at the precisely the wrong time, and a pair of CR90.

Before Wat Tambor, who was the senior Confed leader on Ryloth finally gave the retreat order, only one, heavily damaged battleship managed to fight its way through the Republic fleet which was tearing the behemoths down piece by piece.

Its fellow mountain of steel wasn't so fortunate. It took another fifteen minutes for the depleted Republic ships to pound it into impotence, and then, what was presumed to be its droid commander, scuttled the vessel instead of letting it fall into enemy Blockade of Ryloth was over, at a heavy price for both path to the planet and all the CIS forces waiting there was now open.

**=RK=**

**Cruiser Requiem, Task Force "Retribution" Flagship**

"Confirm that!" exclaimed Pellaeon.

I looked inquisitively at his reaction. I was in the other side of the bridge, going over the list of lost ships. Too many of the ships under my command had been lost.

I cursed my arrogance. Despite their huge number, I didn't truly believe that the Vulture swarm could be a serious threat for my capital ships, besides their obvious exposed bridges!

I was proven wrong. Smashed escorts, destroyed weapons, shattered armor, not to mention the lost lives... The list was long. The the two heavy ships what were lost with all hands, to the only Force knows what freak combination of circumstances, only added salt to the wound.

I glanced at one of the close by monitors, which was showing the sorry state of the Executrix. She was powerful ship, that much she had proven. However, being taken out by fighters, something her designers were swearing won't be possible. Heh. I knew better when I attached her to my fleet. Her heavy firepower and the three hundred Torrents she carried were good enough reason why I was glad for her presence, despite the fact that now Executrix was a yard job. She won't see combat for months, perhaps a year. Still, she was in far better shape than the enemy battleship that escaped. That thing might have to be scrapped.

I returned my attention to my, hmm, friend, Gilad. And wasn't this an admission I was reluctant to make!He came to my side with a grim expression on his face.

"Admiral Yularen has a report for you, sir." he reported.I suppressed a grimace and nodded.

"What is it, Commodore?"

"The freighters were scanned by both fighters and recon corvettes, to confirm it. There are nearly quarter of a million life-signs between them."

"Slaves." I hissed.

Before I could place my fury back under control, the air around me rippled with a wave of telekinetic energy, which caused Pellaeon to flinch.

"Further, all our hails for surrender remain unanswered."I thought for a moment.

"If those are stock freighters, then we have their schematics. I want their hyperdrives taken out. I'll speak with General Kenobi and we'll figure out how to capture those ships. It's time for the ground forces to start liberating Ryloth at any rate. We'll just have to add this to the list."

**=RK=**

**Republic and CIS losses during the Battle for Ryloth**

**Task Force "Retribution"**

**Venators:**

3 Destroyed – Defender, Redeemer, Onderon

Relentless, Conviction, Coruscant's Pride, and Requiem: destroyed bridge towers; moderate to heavy damage over armor and weapon systems; Victory – intact bridge but lost 90% of her weapons

**Dreadnoughts:** 2 destroyed; 4 crippled

**Acclamators:** Leveler, Victorious – lost; Warspite – moderately damaged

**Carracks CL:** 9 destroyed; 4 crippled; 6 moderately damaged

**Arquitens CL:** 8 destroyed; 1 crippled; 3 moderately damaged

**PLC 27 Escort Carriers:** 1 Destroyed: Remember Coruscant

**CR90:** 19 Destroyed; 4 moderately damaged

**V-19 Torrent:** 1578 lost

**Y-Wing bombers:** 488 lost

**CIS losses:**

**Luckrehulk Command ships:** 1 lost: Procurer

**Luckrehulk Battleships:** 2 lost; 1 crippled and fled to hyperspace

**Munificent frigates:** 40 lost

**Vulture fighters:** 12,000 lost


	20. Chapter 12 Part 4

**AN: This story was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum: ****A_Saroc****! Thank you for the great work!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**=RK=**

****Phase 12: Storm of ********Blood******** and ********Steel****

**=RK=**

**Part 4**

**Republic Cruiser _Requiem_, Task Force "Retribution" Flagship, 1 light second from Ryloth**

Disabling the hyperdrives and engines of the six freighters, turned out to be the first damn thing that went right today. After that, Admiral Yularen used the ships under his command to systematically dismantle the light weapons on those transports.

Despite that the calls for surrender remained unheeded. That was one of the reasons for the conference call I was attending.

Skywalker, a banged up, but otherwise fine Ahsoka, Lieutenant Veers, Cat and me. Those were the people physically present on _Requiem. _The rest, amongst who were General Kenobi, Commander Cody, Captain Rex and myriad other ground commanders, were here in the form of ghostly holograms.

"This smells like a trap, sir." grunted Cody.

There were nods and whispers of agreement.

"That much is obvious. However, we can't just leave those people, if they are in facts locals, in the hands of the CIS and the Hutts. We have to at least scout the freighters." I shrugged.

"Every moment we are wait, is one more for the Seps on the ground to dig in, sir." said Rex.

"That's right. We afford to waste too much time, sir." Cody backed up his friend.

"We have at least few hours." I countered. "No one is setting a foot on Ryloth until orbital reconnaissance is completed. As we speak, our remaining bombers are being refitted with sensor pods. In an hour or so they will overfly the planet and scout for concentration of enemy forces and suitable landing zones. I'm not sending you down there before we are reasonably sure that there aren't any anti-orbital emplacements."

The ground commanders winced at that. I didn't have to tell them what would happen if we attempted landing against an un-suppressed AA defense net, especially if the Confeds had deployed weapons which could maul the Assault ships.

"We can use our recon elements to check the freighters. Unfortunately, there are no special forces teams attached to our army." proposed Kenobi.

"We should lead the reconnaissance of the freighters." said Anakin. "With the force, we would have a better chance to sense and avoid any traps. "

"It's tempting." I nodded.

Granted, the whole set up could be a trap for Jedi, but that didn't make Skywalkers idea any less viable. While we were all high ranking officers, thanks to the Force, often the best effect we could have during a battle was on the frontlines, taking out critical objectives, or plugging the gaps when our subordinates simply didn't possess the best skills for a given job.

Just like now. Clearing out the freighters was a task tailor made for the Republic commandos. Too bad that none of those fellas was under my command.

"Admiral Yularen will take command of the fleet, and you General Kenobi, will plan the initial landings when the scouts reports come in. The rest of us, Force Adepts will lead a reconnaissance in force on the freighters. Lets see what we have to work with..."

**=RK=**

**LAAT gunship en route to Phantom 1 (Luckrehulk-class Freighter), high orbit over Ryloth**

I shared a troop transport with my new apprentice, who I felt would be useful in the coming battles. She did prove her combat skills in the temple.

The other notable people riding with us were Captain Cat, who I had promoted when he recovered from the injuries received on Naboo, and members of his Sword company.

All of them were wearing the new color scheme on their armors – black and dark gray. I was the sole exception, with my apparel covered by the Chameleon paint, which made me almost melt into the background.

A company strength force was being deployed to each freighter. The first four ships were going to be hit by units under the command of Skywalker, Ahsoka, Rex and me, with the remaining being visited by recon elements of 93rd Legion.

We breached the freighter's exterior through the tears in its hull made by the fleet, while my ships were taking out its weapons.

The LAAT's pilots parked the transport so it almost touched the hull and we piled out of it. Our magnetized boots slapped into the metal skin of the freighter and we made our way to the hole in it.

After a moment of tense waiting, while I checked the compartment we were about to enter and those surrounding it, with the Force, I was the first to vault in. I braced myself for the moment the artificial gravity was about to "catch" me. My stomach protested when the apparent lack of up and down was no more and I felt like being on solid ground once again.

I hurried to move out so the next person could came in. That was Aria who was spoiling for a fight. Being sealed in her room during the battle had made her on edge, and she needed something to bleed off her nervous energy. I was ready to bet that we would soon meet some droids which fit that bill.

Soon enough, Cat and two squads had jumped in. The rest of the platoon had chosen other points of ingress.

I nodded at the sealed armored door at the left side of the corridor where we were. Cat pointed at it and one of his men hurried up to a panel next to it. He pulled out a cable from the over sized computer mounted on his left arm, connected it with the door's control and started typing. Thirty seconds later, the armored barrier blocking our way divided in four and slid into the walls. If we were lucky, his brief hack had gone unnoticed and we were under the radar. That is if no one saw our gunships approaching the Luckrehulk.

The assault made by Yularen had slagged the all the sensors possessed by the six freighters so we didn't have to worry that they would detect our approach that way.

We went into the next section of the corridor, and the tech sealed the door behind us. We could hear the hissing sound of air being pumped into the compartment. Soon a green light blinked on the door in front of us and it slid open.

That would hasten our mission, at least until someone on the other side smartened up and put the ship on lock-down. Something that I expected to be done by now.

The strangest thing was that I didn't feel any more danger than any other time I was entering a potential combat zone. I would have expected a stronger warning through the Force if the freighter was about to blew up or something...

"This is unit Delta! We have contact!" came over the comms. "Only light clankers so far. We are proceeding to the target coordinates."

Their destination were the starboard cargo holds, with Gama going after the port ones. Beta was heading straight to the reactor, to secure.

My own team was making its way to the bridge, and hopefully some answers.

The next clue, besides the very light resistance, and radio silence from the ship, that something was wrong, were the destroyed droids and few Trandosian bodies we started encountering. It gave me a clue about what might have happened on the freighters...

"This is Gama, we are under attack by what appears to be mercenaries, sir!" reported an incredulous clone.

We were nearing the bridge when Beta reported.

"Sir, we stumbled on a firefight between clankers and a squad strong Trandosians. Please advice on how to proceed."

"Try finding an alternative route. If that's not practical wait for them tow weaken each other, eliminate all resistance and secure that reactor." I ordered.

"Wilco, sir!" answered the clone, before cutting the transmission.

**=RK=**

**Phantom 2, high orbit over Ryloth**

"Kriffing huttspawn!" cursed Anakin, after he ducked his head back behind the corner, around which he was glancing.

A damn big, heavily armed and armored Trandosian was sweeping the corridor leading to the engineering, with an oversized automatic weapon. The gun was shooting huge slugs at a prodigious rate of fire. Skywalker doubted that most pieces of the armor he and his men were wearing could stop those bullets.

The standard Phase 1 Republic armor was optimized for stopping blaster fire and shrapnel. That heavy gun was something else entirely.

So it was a very good thing that the fool who was blocking his way, was fond of wearing grenades on his harness. Anakin smiled thinly, closed his eyes and concentrated.

One after another, the safeties of the grenades carried by the Trandosian heavy weapons specialists were pulled out by invisible fingers. The huge reptilian stared at his harness when a small motion there caught his attention. He growled loudly in protest when he saw what was happening.

The man let his weapon fall to the ground and frantically grabbed at the grenades.

It was too late. He was just extending his right hand to throw away the first of the live explosive devices, when they detonated.

When the smoke cleared, the biggest part left from the overgrown lizard were his feet, which were still in their armored boots and firmly planted to the ground.

Anakin wasted no time and led two squads of the 501st into the reactor control room. There they were met by six more, thankfully relatively lightly armored Trandosians.

Still, those things proved to be not only better armored from his clone troopers, but also tougher, more resilient to punishment. Skywalker's soldiers had to put a score or more shots at the Trandosians chests in order to put them down. In contrast, a clone could tank only a hit or two in the torso before being taken out.

Anakin found out that the enemy's toughness didn't extend to lightsabers.

He deflected six shots back at the closest ugly lizard, without the kriffing thing even wavering. But then he was in melee range.

Skywalker sliced the blaster rifle carried by the Trandosian in two and stabbed at its chest. That finally proved too much. The male lizard growled weakly before sliding to the floor in two pieces.

Anakin puled towards himself a second enemy, one who was taking pot shots at his men and impaled him on his lightsaber. Despite that the Trandosian tried to club the Jedi with his gun. In answer, Skywalker's hands blurred while he cut the damn things to pieces of steaming flesh. For a moment a smile of fierce joy stretched his lips, before the General returned to his mission.

He threw his saber at the last still standing Trandosian. The brute fell to the ground under a hail of blaster bolts and without his head.

"Secure the reactor and take care of the wounded!" ordered Skywalker.

They had to make sure that the ship wouldn't be blown up around them.

**=RK=**

**Phantom 3, high orbit over Ryloth**

Ahsoka cut vertically in two the last Super Battle droid blocking her way. With the last obstacle between her and the door to the port cargo bays gone, she ran forward, followed by five clones. The rest of her team were either down or tending to the wounded.

She reached the door and frowned. A stray shot had slagged the control panel. That would slow her down for a few seconds.

She plunged her lightsaber into the door and started cutting through the alloy. It took her seconds to do it, showing that the entrance was sealed by a regular metal and not reinforced one. It was another thing confirming that the Freighters were almost unmodified, stock designs.

The padawan used telekinesis to push in the circle she cut into the door. Ahsoka jumped through the glowing hole, with her saber raised in a defensive stance. Her men followed suit. They had their weapons up and were sweeping the compartment for threats.

Instead they found people sealed into large cells. Men, women and children were stuck in huge numbers behind thick metal bars. They all looked dirty and malnourished.

Ahsoka stared with pity at the sight. If it wasn't for her sealed helmet, she was sure that the stench of filth in the cargo bay would be unbearable.

"We need help over here." muttered one of the clones.

His tone betrayed his disbelief at the sight. None of them, besides being veterans of months of war, expected to see such a sight. It was especially hard on the young Jedi.

She knew that slavery was outlawed in the Republic, so the view of thousands of people in such a state was almost incomprehensible.

However for her it was worse. The Jedi, who were supposed to be protectors of the galaxy, usually didn't work outside of Republic space. And the sight before her was undeniable evidence that out there, in the outer Rim, the slavery was well and prospering...

Why did the Jedi Order allow such a thing to happen anywhere in the galaxy?! If they had done heir jobs... Ahsoka shook her head. She didn't have time for what ifs right now. There were people needing immediate help.

She came out of her stupor and started snapping orders.

"Is the reactor secure?! Check all cargo compartments for booby traps! And call in the medics! We need more people in here! Now!"

Similar dramas were happening in the cargo bays of all six freighters.

**=RK=**

**Phantom 1, high orbit over Ryloth**

The news of tens of thousands enslaved people on board, as well as on the other ships, who were kept in appalling conditions, did nothing to improve my mood, which had been taking a dive ever since the battle started. In contrast, was the cheer, which was positively leaking from Aria, who was enjoying herself.

She was busy dismantling battle droids using her saber and telekinesis. The CIS forces were either able to retain control of the bridge or retook it before our arrival, because we found it defending by a platoon of robots.

That was barely enough to slow us down. The droids ended being either cut to pieces or blasted apart by Cat and his men.

When the last machine defending our target was destroyed, Aria and me, started cutting through the armored doors leading to the bridge. It took us time to melt through the nearly a meter thick blast doors but it was done nonetheless.

We used the Force to sweep the molten metal away from our path and then we stormed the bridge.

It was anticlimactic. The command center was badly torn up from combat. Its floor was littered with the chassis of destroyed machines, bodies of Trandosians, humanoids in full armor, hiding their features. There were few Neimoidians, laying around, one of whom was still alive.

I walked to the still breathing man, who turned out to be the skipper. His chest was opened by a heavy slug, and he didn't have much more to live. To be honest I was surprised that he hadn't joined the rest of the corpses.

I knelt next to him, and pulled out a med pack. I retrieved a large bandage which I pressed over his wound, in an attempt to slow down whatever blood he still had from leaking, and used the Force to pick up a vial with a universal stimulant. I plunged it into his neck and he shuddered as the adrenaline derivative, which I was pretty sure worked almost the same way for his species too, kicked off.

The plan was to keep him alive until I could get what I needed from his mind.

"Ahh..." he moaned, when my mental probe hit his defenses.

To my surprise he had unusual natural shields. In his state, the shock from me breaching his defenses would kill him before I could learn anything.

"Captain, tell me what happened over here."

"We..." he was interrupted by a fit of coughing, which caused him to spit blood all over the front of my armor, "... the Hutt mercenaries... wanted the leave the instant your fleet arrived. But half my crew is still down there." he coughed more blood. "I didn't want to leave them to your mercy... not after what we were forced...arrhh... the Trade Federation...those kriffing..."

The captain convulsed and his eyes rolled in his sockets before he went still.

I frowned at the cooling corpse in my hands. His regret about whatever he did was genuine. Either the captain was the first Neimoidian with consciousness I've met or whatever he did was so much beyond the pale that it had shocked him to the core.

The second possibility had unpleasant repercussions about what we were about to find on Ryloth.


	21. Interlude 3

****AN: This ********part******** was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum: ********Ashali********! Thank you for the great work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Interlude 03: Inspiration**

**=RK=**

_Rows upon rows of Republic troopers, clad in dark gray and black armor, are marching in formation up the ramps of Acclamator Assault Ships. They are flanked by lines of AT-TE walkers and hover-tanks, waiting for their turn to board._

"In mere hours, we will step foot on Ryloth! Our path has been cleared by the valiant sacrifices of our brothers and sisters in the Navy!"

_Venator cruisers are locked in a long range duel with five times their number of Separatist frigates. The space between them blazes with blue and scarlet turbolaser bolts. Hundreds of Torrent fighters are fearlessly flying to meet a wall of Vultures, which are descending to pick apart the Republic fleet._

"We will not let their noble deaths and the achievements paid with them be in vain!"

_Images from the cameras built in to the Y-Wings show how squadrons of the bombers fall upon Munificents, which shatter under their torpedoes. It could be seen how republic small craft are picked apart by AA fire or Vultures which were close enough to engage them. Yet the bombers press through the hellish onslaught and strike a CIS Command ship, which is left as a wreck in the aftermath of their attack._

"I won't lie to you! We are going into battle against a tough and unrelenting enemy! One who has no concept of mercy!"

_Droids marching across a hundred worlds could be seen. The machines are shown shooting at both Republic troopers and more often than not, at unarmed civilians, who were at the wrong place in the wrong time. Wounded clones, as well as members of scores of planetary defense forces, were being dispatched by the steel legions._

"As for their masters on the Separatist Council..." the well known face of General Veil was twisted by a sneer, "We all saw what their questionable sense of "mercy" entails!"

_Video captured by the helmet cameras of clone troopers followed. Large cells were shown, each of which were filled with gaunt men, women and children. Many of them were wearing rags, which did little to hide a multitude of bruises... or the old fashioned slave collars that were clamped around the necks of about a third of those poor people._

"Here, in orbit of Ryloth, we saw the true face of the Separatists! They want the rest of the galaxy under their steel heels, and demonstrated what awaits every one of us if they win this war! It's either a clean death in battle or a protracted one as a wretched slave!"

_Short clips taken by high altitude reconnaissance vessels were shown next. Camps filled with countless Twi'leks could be seen. They were gathered behind high fences like a herd of animals. Most of them didn't have even a flap of tent over their heads. In many parts of Ryloth, especially near the deserts, such a treatment would prove to be a death sentence._

"I can't promise that I'll bring every single one of you back alive. We all know that some of you who are today, here with me, won't be alive at the same time tomorrow,"the General took a deep breath before continuing. "They at least will die free! Let us show the galaxy what we are made of! Today we fight for the freedom which is yours by right! Today we liberate Ryloth!"

_Squadrons of fighters and bombers scream from the heavens, plunging through the atmosphere of Ryloth as so many falling stars. They are followed in by Corellian Corvettes, and finally the dagger shaped Assault ships. Waves of gunships carrying men and equipment separated from the Acclamators and headed to the predetermined staging area._

_High in orbit, two Venator cruisers maneuver and unleash barrage after barrage of turbolaser death at exposed enemy formations. Recon craft show columns of Separatist vehicles disappearing in blinding flashes as the orbital bombardment hits._

_"By now, every single Republic citizen knows what our enemies are capable of. What awaits us if we ever fall into the Separatist's clutches._

_Even now some are calling for peace. Let us be fair, the choice between war and peace is an easy one._

_There is only one sure way to guarantee that there is peace, and it takes only a second. Its a surrender. On Ryloth we saw what a surrender will mean for the Republic! It is enslavement for every man, woman and child! _

_There can be no more appeasement with the Separatists! No more compromises! We are long past between the choice between peace and war! Now there can be only fighting or surrender! It is clear what will happen to us all if we continue to back off and retreat! The only accommodation the Separatists will accept is the steel heels of their soulless armies over our necks!_

_The Separatist leaders believe that their victory is near after they struck at the very heart of the Republic. They believe that we are morally and economically weakened, because even now there are voices from our side who call for peace at any price!_

_Those people would see us begging on our knees before a Separatist slave-master instead dying on our feet!_

_They do not speak for us all! They do not speak for the Republic!_

_For more than twenty millennia, the freedom of the Republic citizens has been purchased with countless noble deaths! Those men and women did not die in vain! Peace is too precious to be bought at the price of slavery!_

_As I speak, The Grand Army of the Republic is fighting across thousands of planets to stop the Separatist onslaught! They fight and die for every single one of you! Can any of you do any less for your own freedom?_

_The Republic Army and Navy need your help to turn the tide! Enlist now, and help us stop the Separatists once and for all!"_


	22. Chapter 13 Part 1

****AN: This ********part******** was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum:********BigSky********! Thank you for the great work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**=RK=**

**Phase 13: Turning Point**

**=RK=**

**Part 1**

**Conference room, Republic cruiser _Requiem, _Task Force "Retribution" Flagship; High Orbit over Ryloth**

"We'll have _Galactic Mercy _arriving in system within the next seventy two hours, sir." informed us Piett.

"Thank you ensign." I answered.

The command staff of the fleet and ground forces were gathered for another conference. This time we had more information to work with. The first recon flight over Ryloth were completed and we had some data from the people we saved when we took the freighters. It wasn't good...

"This...This is madness!" exclaimed Anakin after examining few images of processing camps set up by the CIS.

The population of whole regions was being gathered in such places, which were a high tech version of something a Nazi would have approved. Then they sorted the people in two groups – prospective slaves who were either collared or implanted with slave chip(which did have an explosive charge built in), and the rest, who were left to rot in awful conditions. What made those places deathtraps was the fact that after the invasion, the logistics network on Ryloth had broken. As a result, there was no longer food, and in places not even sufficient water, reaching the camps.

Whether that was an oversight which had murderous repercussions on the locals or by design of some madman within the CIS rank, we didn't know. However in either case, the outcome was the same. There were already hundreds of thousands starving with a lot of people, especially those in camps near the deserts, dying from thirst.

"The only places more or less functioning are the towns and cities near major industrial or mining centers. While occupied, the people in those settlements are left largely alone as long as they meet the CIS production quotas. If they fail at it or show any resistance, the locals are sent at one of the camps to be turned into slaves." finished Piett.

"While there are few resistance movements, their success is less than one can usually expect on a world as Ryloth." added Commander Cody.

"Its hard to be a guerillas, when there is no population in which to disappear, as is the case over most of the planet." I muttered.

"Most concerning is what we were told by the people we liberated." said Ahsoka, pointing at one particular stack of pads, amongst the many covering the table.

"The proton cannons." grumbled Rex.

"That's correct, Captain." I said. "We have to deal with at least three artillery sites with overlapping range, or land on the other side of the planet from our most important target."

"Wat Tambor." Anakin spat the name of the Sep leader who was responsible for the mess below us.

"If we can capture him, Ryloth is as good as free. He will have deactivation codes for the droid armies on the planet." said Kenobi.

I stared at the holomap of Ryloth which was projected over the table.

"The easy way is out." I grumbled.

The cannons in question were placed in the middle of settlements, with the local population used as live shields. So taking them out with orbital strikes wasn't on the table. At least for now.

"We need to insert small number of ground forces, who are to take out at least three of those sites. Then our Acclamators can land safely." said Skywalker.

"Those three." I pointed at a specific point of the world map. "They will give us an access to a few mountain passes leading to the Capital and will provide cover from enemy proton cannons on the other side of the mountain range. The city itself is on the edge of the desert," I studied the terrain for a moment. "On three sides it has nice, clear open terrain for hundreds of kilometers around. If Tambor calls for reinforcements, we will be able to take them out easily, before they are in range to cause any trouble. If they use people as shields, our cruisers' turbolasers can turn the desert into a lava field, cutting off the capital from ground bound help."

"And once we have Tambor..." Anakin trailed off.

I could sense the barely restrained anger raging within his heart. What we found on those freighters hit him hard.

"Considering our glaring lack of commando units, the three strike teams will be lead by me and the Jedi. Admiral Yularen," I nodded respectfully at the man. "Will take command of the fleet. On a brighter note, I spoke with General Valentra. We should receive few more cruisers and escorts before the day is over. Hopefully those ships as well as our fleet will be able to discourage the CIS from contesting the orbitals."

It was time to get close and personal with the separatists.

Unfortunately my newest apprentice would be unable to join us for at least a day. She had exhausted herself while we were clearing up the freighters. A significant part of her Force powers were used in sustaining her, because of the genetic damage I was unable to fix.

The good news was that I had contacted few scientists on Coruscant who were already looking into the problem. Unfortunatelly they were at least months from a viable cure.

**=RK=**

**LAAT gunship, en route to Alpha Site, Ryloth**

We plunged through the atmosphere behind three Assault Ships. Each of the Acclamators was targeting a separate settlement, using its heavy shields and armor as a barricade between the proton cannons and the Gunships deploying three companies of clone troopers.

Those were Torrent from Skywalker's 501st, Ghost from 212th Attack Battalion under Commander Cody, and Krayt company under Captain Cat, from my own 11th Legion.

Below us could be seen the dying glare of proton explosions. The Acclamators blew up a heavy torpedo each, in the upper atmosphere, blinding sensors on the ground for a short period of time. It bought us only a couple of minutes, but that was better than nothing. At any rate, the Assault Ships did their jobs and retreated with medium damage from the enemy bombardment.

The LAATs carrying us flew at the ground at insane velocity, fighting to pass under the proton cannon's engagement envelopes as soon as possible. Our passage through the Ryloth airspace was hazardous, with cannon shells configured as makeshift flak exploding nearby and rocking the gunships.

One of the LAAT's was crippled from a near miss by warhead meant to contest an Assault ship's defenses. It's left side was cut to pieces, and it fell to the ground as a brick, trailing smoke and bodies behind. A shell blew up behind another, totaling its engines and the stricken transport continued flying at the ground at top speed. It struck nose first, compressing the craft into a metal pancake, for a brief instant, before its on board weapons and fuel detonated thanks to the impact.

The rest of us made it in one piece and I was thankful for insisting that each bird carried only a single squad each. When the gunships touched down, we disembarked hastily and hurried to assemble within the forest surrounding the small clearing where we landed.

On my way to the tree cover, I idly noticed a huge dead insect, which was half devoured. Two brownish, armored beings were running away, spooked from the LAAT's. I hate insects. Especially the damn big ones. It was a side effect from my time fighting those damn things on Alderaan during the war.

I glared at the retreating forms and continued running to the trees.

We had to hurry. It was a race between a bunch of enemy reinforcements trying to reach the village we were about to strike (if they didn't get wrecked by orbital strikes) and us taking down the cannons.

My sight lingered over the equipment carried by my men. Most of them were lugging heavy blasters, man-portable cannons and repeaters as well as missile launchers.

The Jedi in contrast had their troopers carrying only blasters and ion grenades. Something about not wrecking the settlements of the locals. I had nothing of that when my men were concerned. The damn buildings were much cheaper than the life of my soldiers.

**=RK=**

**Outskirts of a Ryloth village, codenamed Site Alpha**

In the shadow covered grounds under the three tops of the forest surrounding us, the darker armor made us almost invisible. In the stock white colors, my men would have been sticking out as a whore on a Jedi convention.

The village itself was surrounded by a meters tall wall, which was in bad repair. It was probably build to keep the local wildlife away from the inhabitants. It presented a bit of a problem. There were towers built in it, spaced every ten meters or so from each other. Each of those was manned by a squad of B1 droids, which by itself would have been easily to handle.

They had heavy repeating blasters (read machine guns). Add the fact that there was a mercifully short clearing before the edge of the forest and the wall itself, and taking that enemy position with only infantry would have been costly, especially if we had a restricted rules of engagement like the Jedi.

"I want a missile put into each of the closest towers!" I ordered quietly. "Preferably before the clankers figure out that we've arrived." I added.

"Yes, sir!" whispered Cat, before he relayed my orders.

Naturally, the droids noticed us before we hit them. Either one of the machines was paying closer attention than the others or one of my men fucked up.

"Movement!" a synthesized voice shouted.

"Open fire!" snapped another.

I shook my head. I'll never know why the CIS droids didn't use wireless comms to communicate between themselves. Not that I was going to complain, when their shouts bought my men an extra couple of seconds to get into cover.

The repeating blasters opened fire, sending red energy bolts to chew up through the treeline.

"Suppressive fire on those towers! Now!" I snapped while deflecting a stream of crimson death heading towards my position.

Every one of the clankers trying to overwhelm my defense was one less that was shooting at my men.

"We are on it, sir!" couple of my men shouted in unison, their voices barely coming over the cacophony of combat.

I glanced at the pair and smirked. They were both carrying blaster carbine, a heavy blaster and a missile launcher. One of them opened up on the closest tower, blasting a droids from the rampart and forcing the rest to duck. Meanwhile his buddy prepared his missile launcher, acquired the target and fired.

The warhead surged over the no mans land between the two sides, and slammed in the repeating blaster. Its HE charge detonated obliterating the upper half of the tower in an explosion that didn't look particularly impressive. The pieces of droids and rock raining all over us would beg to differ on that account.

In short order the nearby towers were silenced by missile strikes. I nodded approvingly to my men.

"Hell yeah!" exclaimed the clone who blew up the first tower.

"Great work! Pass my regards to the men." I spoke to Cat. I could feel him grinning proudly under his helmet.

It was a sweet, short op. I could sense that we lost only a single man with four wounded.

"By the way where did you get these characters?" I asked Cat and nodded at the pair which was strutting around with three weapons each.

"Ah. Those." muttered the Captain.

"I sense a story there," I said while he was preparing to scale the wall.

That was an easy exercise thanks to the grappling hooks attached to the weapons carried by my men.

A Force assisted lunge later I was on the wall and examining the village. It was ominously quiet. The only sounds were coming from the squads dispatched to deal with the remaining enemies on the wall, so those droids couldn't hit us from the back.

I mentally cursed not remembering the events of most seasons of the show. I knew that there was going to be trouble in here but not what exactly.

Cat scaled up the wall seconds after me and joined me in examining the settlement.

"Those two are Waxer and Boil. They requested a transfer from 212th Attack Battalion."

"That's Kenobi's unit. Why?"

"Apparently there is persistent rumor that under your command the rules of engagement are more liberal. I had a chat with Commander Cody about them. He is not pleased that we got couple of his best men." the Captain shrugged and nodded at the pair who had just came up the wall.

Yeah, most Jedi would disapprove from their affair with heavy firepower. I grinned. Those were my kind of soldiers! Now, let's see if they are only good at blowing up shit or if they had other talents too...

"I'm taking couple of squads and we'll be scouting up ahead. I don't like the look of this." I waved at the deadly quiet village. "Let the men take a brief breather and tend to the wounded, while we check for surprises. "

"Consider it done, sir!"

When we were behind the wall, I called the pair who had taken my interest.

"You two, troopers. Front and center!"

"Boil and Waxer, reporting, Sir!" they ran next to me and straightened up, at attention.

"We are going to scout the village. Who know what nasty surprises the clankers have left for us!" I looked straight at them. "I was led to believe that you two are some of the best 212th had. It's time to put it to the test."

"Uh... Us, sir?" asked the one to the right.

"That's right." I smirked. "And you know what the reward is for a job well done in the army!"

They groaned. Yup, they knew!

**=RK=**

**CIS positions, Site Alpha, Ryloth**

"We lost contact with the outer perimeter." reported a B1 droid.

"I told you that those tin cans wouldn't be able to even slow the republic!" muttered a bounty hunter.

The tactical droid in charge of the CIS contingent tilted its head to the right.

"It was expected. I want to know their plans. Send probe droids. I want 855th platoon and the remaining tanks to reinforce the chokepoint."

"Roger, Roger!" the B1 snapped at attention.

"Release your pets." added the merc.

"Indeed. The modification you suggested could prove useful." chimed in the tactical droid.

The masked woman nodded nonchalantly. Mentally she cursed being stuck at this position. Her commander wanted eyes on the inside of the CIS operations after those madmen attacked Coruscant with the Blue Shadow. It was the prudent thing to do, however it let her in a nasty position. Now she was at least partly responsible for the atrocities committed by the damn Separatists!

She nervously re-checked her gear. Her rocket backpack was fully fueled and operational. The same was true for her wrist mounted rocket launcher and flamethrower as all her other toys.

She had a bad feeling about what was going to happen...


	23. Chapter 13 Part 2

****AN: This ********part******** was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum:********DaLintyGuy********! Thank you for the great work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 13: Turning Point**

**=RK=**

**Part 2**

**Alpha Site, Ryloth**

So far, the scouting exercise went without a hitch. That in itself was troubling. We met no resistance at all. No booby-traps either.

The village appeared empty, which was making me nervous. A company or two of droids should have been able to bleed and slow down any attacker unwilling to level the settlement.

The only other good place to make a stand would be the chokepoint between two cliffs, leading to the small plaza where the cannons were located. It provided nice, long and clear fields of fire, but that worked as a double edged sword. Any attacker who secured the village would have some cover, not to mention that a spread of missiles would be all it would take to disable the few CSI tanks seen by the recon flights.

Well, if I was an arrogant idiot, I might have presumed that the droid in charge of this little slice of Ryloth were lacking in programming and thought that deploying all it's forces at the small pass was a good idea. However, with me instead being a paranoid bastard, me and my troopers were searching for the surprises prepared by the Separatists for any uninvited visitors such as us.

Boil and Waxer were stalking down the street in front of me, their heads snapping in all direction, scanning for possible threats. At least those two were turning out to be competent scouts, with more talents than just their commendable reliance on overwhelming firepower. As the folks at a forum dimensions away would say, there were very few problems that couldn't be resolved by deployment of sufficient Dakka! Not that there was such a thing in existence, of course...

I sensed a tiny presence in the Force couple of seconds before we heard something shifting a bit of rubble. The sound came from a small alley to our left. There was someone alive here, beside us.

My soldiers turned their weapons in the direction of the sound and moved out, taking positions to the sides of the alley.

I frowned. I felt anxiety and fear coming in waves from the unknown person.

I nodded at Waxer who had his head turned in my direction. I didn't expect a threat, but better safe than sorry. We weren't playing a game on a training field after all.

My men darted into the alley, with their weapons at the ready. I followed suit, thinking that such actions would be made much safer by the addition of short ranged drones. Just another thing to add to the list. At this rate the R&amp;D boys and girls would be busy for years after the end of the war.

"A little girl!" exclaimed Boil.

I walked behind the clones who were looking at a child who couldn't be older than five. She was cute little thing with light green skin. She was examining us with huge brown eyes. Fear and curiosity were fighting within her tiny hear which was fluttering within her chest.

I wondered how those two men, who still had their mental conditioning made by the Kaminoans would react to the kid.

"What are we going to do with her?" Waxer wondered aloud.

"We shouldn't do a thing. We have a mission to complete!" stated Boil.

"We can't leave her! We should take her with us!" exclaimed Waxer.

"Are you kidding?! She'll slow us down! Right, sir?"

"Perhaps." I muttered. "What do you two think we should do?" I asked innocently.

"Look at her! She's terrified of us." pointed out Boil.

"Not from us. Take cover!" I snapped quietly and pressed my back in a shadowed corner. The Chameleon paint on my armor made me melt into the darkens.

The clones followed my example, hiding behind nearby columns, while I projected a small Force field which I hoped would made us appear nonexistent to life-signs detector. It would work only on crappy sensors but it was the best I could do short of disabling the droid.

Moments later a scout droid, similar to the ones made famous by The Empire Strikes Back, perhaps an earlier model, skimmed over the streets where we were before we heard the girl. The machine made a cursory scan before continuing its path. Either it had cheap sensors or it noted our presence and was faking disinterest. We needed to get away from here quickly.

Boil agreed with my reasoning and said so.

"We can't leave her here! Not with the clankers searching for us!" Waxer disagreed.

I could clearly sense Boil's confusion. He stared at the kid for few seconds before reaching a decision.

"Fine!" he snapped at his friend. "I'll carry her."

Before any of us could say a thing, he went to grab her and to Waxer's and my amusement, she growled at my subordinate and clamped her teeth at his index finger.

"Ouch! She bit me!"

I went behind Boil and slapped the back of his helmet.

"Ow! What was that about!? Sir?" he grumbled.

"You are scaring her!" exclaimed Waxer.

"The child either thinks we are droids or she just don't like you." I smirked at Boil, who shook his head in exasperation.

"I wonder why..." muttered Waxer.

He removed his helmet and grinned at the kid.

"Hey little one! See, we are made of flesh just like you!"  
I could almost see Boil rolling his eyes at his buddy's antics, before his shoulders slumped.

"I think she's starving. Here take this." he retrieved a piece of a field ration and handled it to his friend.

Waxer presented it to the girl who looked him warily, before carefully sniffing the food. She glanced at each of us in turn before grabbing the meal and taking a small bite off it. She smiled and started eating the food.

Boil removed his helmet too and massaged the back of his head, where I slapped him.

"Definitely starving. No way she would eat a piece of MRE otherwise." I muttered.

Those things kept you alive and that was their only redeeming quality. The less said about the taste the better...

"Nerra! Nerra!" The girl cheerfully pointed at the clones, then she looked warily at my masked face.

"No, sweetie. I am Waxer and he is Boil!" he tried to correct her.

I chuckled at her antics.

"Congratulations!" I cheered my men. "You were just adopted as big brothers!"

"Joy..." grumbled Boil.

I knelt next to the kid and removed my helmet.

"Hi! I bet you know all the fun hidden places around here..." I said.

She had to, in order to evade the droids since the invasion began.

"Can you show us how to sneak to the plaza where the droids are gathered?" I asked in Twi'leki.

She eagerly nodded, with her head-tails swinging wildly.

"Wouldn't you know, the short stuff's useful for something." muttered Boil.

"Waxer, please." I nodded at my other subordinate.

He smirked and slapped his friend at the back of his head.

"Ouch! What is this?! Pick on Boil day?!" he exclaimed, while the girl giggled at our antics.

I listened to a rapid string of explanations from the kid.

"Yes. Of course." I grumbled. "Why it always has to be sewers?! You sure that there is not another hidden way?" I asked with forlorn hope.

She shook her head and continued nibbling at her meal.

"Splendid." I muttered dryly. "Get you helmets back on. We have a mission to finish." I pointed at the kid, "By the way, your new sister's name is Numa."

**=RK=**

**Site Alpha, CIS positions****  
**

Bo-Katan was toying with a vibroblade, while waiting for the damned tactical droid to reach a decision. The onerous machine was examining the data feed from its scouts, when it straightened up and turned towards an idle B1 which was simply staying nearby.

"We located them. The attack can begin now. Release the beasts." It ordered in a voice lacking any emotion.

The mandalorian woman rolled her eyes. Unless the clones were incompetent, she doubted that the animals would be something more than a slight irritation. After all, if the rumors were true, they were made in the image of one of her own kind, and trained by mandalorian mercenaries to boot.

Yet they were content to be slaves to the Republic, and that was something that made her blood boil. No true mandalorian would let herself stay in such a position!

Bo-Katan could hear distant growling from behind her. She shrugged. The beasts should at least slow down the Republic soldiers. She looked over the locals who were used as live shields, and were probably the only reason the village wasn't turned into glowing crater from orbit.

Evaluating what foolishness would be done by the CIS next was one thing. Being caught as what amounted to a hostage taker by what she expected to be vengeful Republic troops was another.

Truly, the only reason she was still on this damn planet was her expectation that the CIS fleet in orbit would crush the Republic's Navy attempt to break the blockade. Instead, the Separatist fleet was so much dust across the stars, and she was trapped on the planet. Her FTL capable fighter was securely locked back in the capital, and she was unable to refuse the "suggestion" to examine and improve the defenses of the artillery positions. Not when Tambor had a platoon of Super Battle droids nearby, and her ride was under lock-down.

Besides, after the mauling they received, the Republic ships in orbit were likely to shoot first and not ask questions if anyone tried to leave the planet.

Kryze knew that after Coruscant, the GAR would somehow change the way it operated. Witnessing it would be useful to the Death Watch. However, she had the feeling that doing so from the CIS side would prove hazardous for one's health.

Her frown deepened. Perhaps it was time to cut out her losses and seek a better arrangement. After all, she was not a common mercenary. She owed no allegiance to Tambor and the CIS...

She moved away from the crate she was leaning on.

"I'm going to see for myself how good the Republic clones are." She said to the tactical droid and stalked away with a predatory grace.

**=RK=**

**Krayt Company positions, Alpha Site, Ryloth****  
**  
I was thankful to the Force and all the gods I could think of for my sealed armor. Slogging through the filth in the sewers to reach the position where Cat and the rest of my men were waiting wasn't fun. If the kriffing droids had sensors to pick up smell, they would have found us sniffing around the plaza, when Numa led us to recon the place.

Well, it could be worse, I guess. That way we avoided any roaming scout droids, while en route back to our lines. Thanks to the Force and few helpful pointers from Numa we soon reached our destination.

I started climbing the ladder leading up to the manhole closest to my men and shouted: "Hold your fire! Incoming friendlies!"

I could sense my soldiers attention snapping our way. I shoved away the manhole cover and got out, to be greeted by half a dozen blasters pointed my way.

"Stand down, men. Good to have you back, sir. How did the scouting go?" asked Cat.

"Much better than anticipated. We have a covert way in. However there are a lot of clankers and civilians out there. We'll need a diversion before hitting the place."

Behind me a muttering Boil came out of the manhole, followed by Numa and Waxer.

Cat glanced at the kid. "You picked up a stray, sir," he pointed out the obvious.

"Its not like we could just leave her behind. Besides she is damn useful..." I trailed off.

Something bad was coming our way. I could sense anger and hunger.

"Take defensive positions! We have company!" I snapped and grabbed my lightsaber and activated it.

My men darted in all direction, in a carefully orchestrated chaos. They ran towards hastily prepared positions, preparing to face whatever was coming our way.

Behind me Waxer grabbed a startled Numa who shrieked in fright, and sprinted towards a nearby building.

I could hear the sound of clawed feet scrapping over the rocky ground. My first thought was that the animals we startled when the LAAT's landed had come back with a vengeance, and brought back friends. That idea was reinforced when a bunch of overgrown bugs covered with brown armored plates appeared behind a nearby corner. They growled at us and sprinted our way without slowing down.

"Open fire! Don't let them get near you!" I shouted.

I could see the blinking lights of demo charges, which were fitted on the beasts. Huh. Using animals as kamikaze. Someone on the other side was becoming creative. I needed to find that one. Such creativity needed a fitting reward.

My men opened fire on the horde rushing us with everything they got. To my unpleasant surprise, all but few of the heavy blaster bolts were harmlessly absorbed or deflected from the animals armor. I made a note to take samples for the R&amp;D folks. That stuff appeared to be doing much better job than the armor worn by my men.

Two missiles passed around me and struck a pair of the insect like creatures, shattering their carapace and dazzling the nearby monstrosities.

I gathered as much Force as I could in the seconds I had before the beasts reached me, molded it and unleashed the energy at the pack of predators.

**=RK=**

**A building overlooking Krayt Company position, Alpha Site, Ryloth****  
**  
Kryze watched as animals rushed at the clones position. She stated at the man in color shifting armor, who appeared to be in command. That was a useful feature to have, mused a part of her brain.

Her attention was on the officer in charge. He looked familiar. Bo-Katan was sure that she has seen him before, probably on the holonet. When he ignited a lightsaber in the color of freshly split blood, it all clicked into place.

That was General Veil, the new GAR prodigy. The man credited with engineering both Grievous and Dooku's capture.

If the rumors which reached the Death Watch were true, he was a very dangerous man, who apparently was allowed to do whatever he deemed necessary to achieve his mission's objectives. Something that a mandalorian warrior could respect. What was even more interesting was the rumor that he tortured at least one man and faced no repercussions from his Republic overlords. That in itself was troubling. If the Republic was discarding its foolish ideals and the kiddy gloves with which they appeared to operate for centuries, it would mean that her and her brother's in arms cause could be threatened.

Or perhaps, this man and what he represented was an opportunity for the True Mandalorians.

She watched him snapping orders and the soldiers obeyed without a moments hesitation. Bo-Katan nodded in approval when they fell in a bunch of prepared positions and opened fire at the beasts attacking them. They were better than she was expecting.

The General just stood there, in the middle of the street and appeared to wait. Then he slammed his hands at the ground and the predators, the closest of which were few meters from him were thrown in the air by invisible force. They floated for a moment, before he made a pushing motion and the beasties were thrown towards the far end of the street, where they hit the facade of a building. Hard. Even from couple of hundred meters away, she could clearly hear the sound of cracking carapace.

Bo-Katan smile became a grin. So he was really a Force user. Not a Jedi either. They didn't use crimson lightsabers. This day was becoming even more interesting.

Kryze pressed a button on her wrist mounted computer and the explosives fitted to the animals detonated, turning the far end of that street into a charnel house.

She jumped from the building and slowed her fall with the aid of her rocket pack. Bo-Katan landed twenty odd meters from the General and was about to greet him when she was yanked forward by an invisible force.

The man pointed at the animals she just turned into shreds.

"I'll make an educated guess. That was originally your idea." He stated in an ominous tone.

Yeah. Interesting day indeed...


	24. Chapter 13 Parts 3 and 4

****AN: This ********part******** was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum: ********serbobiv, ********Jason14K********! Thank you for the great work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**=RK=**

**Phase 13: Turning Point**

**=RK=**

**Part 3**

**Krayt Company positions, Alpha Site, Ryloth**

I glared at the woman. This stunt with the overgrown bugs turned into living bombs was too creative for the run of the mill CIS imbeciles, while being exactly what a Mandalorian would do. For fun, amongst other things. I wondered if her armor was just for show or if she was the real thing.

The female I was keeping suspended in mid air shrugged. "It seemed a good idea at the time."

"Indeed." I muttered.

If those things had reached our lines and detonated, my men would have suffered severe casualties. Anything less than missile strikes was pretty useless at taking down the animals.

"What is your game, I wonder?" I thought aloud while studying her armored form.

I liked what I saw. Heavy armor, enough weaponry to make Boil and Waxer drool... She could fit right in with the Empire's Mandalorian auxiliaries from my past. Not to mention she had curves in all the right places...

I shook my head in an attempt to get my mind out of the gutter. It wad too damn long since the last time I had gotten laid. I didn't have time to act like a hormonal teen.

"Like what you see?" she asked.

"Oh, my! Definitely!" shouted one of my soldiers.

"Waxer! If you will." I snapped.

Metal striking metal sounded from behind me.

"Ow! What did I do this time?!" grumbled Boil.

Numa, who was near those two clowns, giggled at them.

"Thank you, Waxer." I quipped.

I swear I could hear Cat muttering something about idiots and the nastiest assignments he could find for them.

A bit of telekinetic manipulation and a soft clicking could be heard as the seals holding her helmet popped open. I waved my fingers, and it lifted revealing a beautiful face framed by a crop of shoulder length fiery red hair. I blinked at her.

I knew her! Ironically I remembered more bits from the later seasons of the Clone Wars than the first few, and all things considered, that was information that was already mostly useless. With the changes that occurred, it was highly unlikely that most things that I could recall would happen in a similar way, if at all.

The first time I had any recollection of this woman was while reading RI intel briefings. Granted, those things were largely a work of fiction with only hints of reality mixed in, but they had her name and possible allegiance.

"Bo-Katan Kryze. Fancy meeting you here." I smiled under my helmet. "How's your sister nowadays?" I quipped.

For few seconds her face was a mask of utter shock before she schooled it back in a cold mask.

"We need to have a chat," I declared. "But I am curious. You are supposed to be one of the best amongst the Death Watch. So, lets put that to the test. I want to see if this age's Mandalorians are anything like the ones I had the honor to fight side by side with during the Great war.

"Captain Cat, give us some space and don't interfere." I ordered.

I released the Bo-Katan, floated her helmet so it was in front of her and smiled cheerfully at her.

"A challenge, eh?" she gave me a lopsided grin, before snatching her helmet and putting it on.

"I accept!" she declared and drew her blaster pistols.

**=RK=**

**Ghost Company, Gama Site, Ryloth**

"They are flanking us!" shouted a clone.

His voice came over the roar of battle and was barely heard by his comrades.

"Of course they are..." grumbled Cody.

He blew off the head of an irritating B1 droid, before snapping out orders: "Send in what's left of the reserve to the right flank!"

"This could have gone better." muttered Kenobi.

The Jedi was anchoring the center of the clone lines, which were under a heavy assault by at least two companies of Super Battle droids and a horde of B1s.

He and his men had managed to break through the outer perimeter of the village and take the first two rows of buildings, before the CIS forces counterattacked. The battle had been raging ever since.

Obi-Wan felt his men falling one after another. By now, over a third of the clones were down, and the droids showed no sign of relenting in their attacks. Ghost Company simply didn't have the firepower necessary to stop the onslaught.

From the corner of his eye, Kenobi saw a trooper have his chest perforated by a long burst of blaster fire. The man slumped back, never to move again.

Obi-Wan glared at the machines. They had to reach the cannons and disable them. Every minute they delayed meant more people were dying all over the planet.

**=RK=**

**Torrent Company, Beta Site, Ryloth**

"Master! Is this your whole plan?!" shouted Ahsoka.

She was back to back with Anakin, in the center of a large intersection. Nearly a hundred droids were advancing towards them from four sides, constantly shooting at the two Jedi.

"Pretty much!" he answered with a confident grin on his lips. "Just about now! Wait for it..." he trailed off.

Even more droids were joining the onslaught, straining the Jedi's ability to deflect blaster bolts.

"Wait for what?! There are more clankers coming!"

Anakin frowned. He used telekinesis to activate his wrist mounted comm. "Rex! Where are you?! We can't hold them for much longer!"

Couple of seconds later, the Captains voice came back.

"We are a bit busy here, sir!" screamed Rex, so he could be heard.

Two hundred meters away, most of Torrent company was pinned down by two platoons of Super Battle droids, which came to reinforce their metal brethren.

"Those B1s are trying to flank us, sir!" someone shouted.

"Send Echo squad to stall them!" snapped Rex. "General, we won't be able to make it in time. A platoon of SB's just got between us, sir! We don't have the firepower to dislodge them any time soon! They are taking defensive positions and trying to contain us!"

Anakin cringed. "Snips, we've got a problem."

"You think!?" she deadpanned. Ahsoka could see a couple of droidekas rolling towards them.

**=RK=**

**Part 4**

**Krayt Company position, Alpha Site, Ryloth****  
**  
I sealed my helmet and brought my lightsaber back to life. I did it just in time to deflect a burst of fire from the red-haired woman. Her blasters were snapping shots at meas fast as she could pull the trigger.

She apparently had trained to fight against Force Adepts, because her blasterfire was targeted at my blade, near the hilt. That increased the chance of my saber being blasted out of my hands from the force of the shots, and made it much harder to reflect her weapons fire back at her. Or that was the theory, anyway.

I used the Force to strengthen my grip and my smile grew. Bo-Katan could prove to be a challenge.

She jumped in the air on jets of flames coming from her rocket-pack. She made a motion with her left hand I was closely familiar with and a rocket flew my way.

I smirked and slapped the weapon away with a telekinetic wave, then I returned the favor. I sent two stun darts from my the launcher built in my left armguard. At the same time, my blade continued to deflect the blaster fire from the airborne mandalorian.

The rocket struck the ground to my right and detonated, showering me with pieces of rock and soil.

Bo-Katan twisted gracefully in the air and my dual shots missed her, spending their electric charges at the wall behind her.

She shot two thin discs from a device on her right hand at me. I met that attack with a Force push, which threw the metal slips back at her accompanied by an invisible sphere of energy.

Kryze flew up, ascending over the reflected attack, which smashed through the wall behind her. She rotated in mid air, so the missiles mounted on her back were pointing my way.

Her heavier weapon roared my way. Perhaps she thought that I would have a problem thanks to its greater weight and speed. It was time to dissuade her from such notions.

I pushed at the missile with both hands and the guided weapon stopped two meters from me. Then I used telekinesis to turn it so it pointed at the woman and released it, before rolling away to avoid a hail of blaster shots.

She plunged down, trying to evade her own missile, but I used the Force to guide it after her. Bo-Katan didn't let that slow her down. She turned around, so she flew backwards, and shot two yellow energy bolts, from her left armguard. One missed, but the second struck the missile pursuing her and detonated its warhead.

The explosion sent shrapnel in all direction. It also threw the mandalorian woman skidding across the ground. She landed hard, and stopped only when she struck the wall of a nearby building.

I used her temporally distraction to pluck out of her hand the blaster she managed to keep during her crash landing.

It didn't slow her for even a moment. Kryze sent two of the yellow energy bolts my way and while I deflected them, she launched a metal cord which darted towards my hands, followed by a single metal disc.

I used the Force to sent away the projectile but the rope snacked around my sword arm. Bo-Katan wasted no time and she flew up, dragging me with her. If it wasn't for the Force enhancing my body, her move would have dislocated my right shoulder. If I was lucky...

I cursed as I headed towards an inconveniently placed building. I twisted my body so I hit the wall feet first and leaped from that surface in a Force assisted jump. My still ignited lightsaber connected with the metal line, cutting through it and I switched it off before smashing in the woman and grappling her.

The time appeared to slow down for me.

Our midair collision threw away her attempts to control her flight with my additional weight. We spun through the air in uncontrolled fall.

She smashed her armored head in my face, which combined with our tumbling through the air was mildly disorienting. However thanks to the Force I was well aware where exactly we were and of our distance from the buildings and the ground.

I returned the favor, rattling her head within her helmet and twisted us so she'll take the brunt of our fall. I used the Force to slow down a bit our headlong plunge to the ground but it wasn't enough to let either of us get away from that stunt unscratched.

We landed hard. I could hear the unpleasant sound of cracking bones. I could feel pain exploding in my left arm and hand, which was under Kryze's body when we hit the ground.

Son of a bitch! That kriffing hurt!

**=RK=**

**Ghost Company, Gama Site, Ryloth****  
**

"Cody! Ion grenades! I'll guide them so they'll have maximum effect!" shouted Obi-Wan.

He darted behind a half-demolished wall and nodded to the Commander.

The Jedi closed his eyes and concentrated. He let his senses fly over the battlefield, noting the positions of his men and the ghostly signatures of the machines.

A nearby soldier took out a grenade, primed it and threw the sphere at a group of droids. Kenobi picked up the weapon with the Force, and guided it so it would have maximum effect.

It detonated, releasing a pulse of ion energy which fried the electronics of fifteen machines.

Obi-Wan repeated the process, wiping out robots left and right, until his men ran out of grenades. By then the droids assaulting them were decimated.

Five minute later, the forces attacking Ghost Company were obliterated, and the path to the cannons and the final defenses around them was clear.

Half of Kenobi's men were either dead or wounded by that point.

**=RK=**

**Torrent Company, Beta Site, Ryloth****  
**  
"This way!" shouted Anakin.

Skywalker sent a concentrated beam of telekinetic energy at the wall of a nearby house, blowing a large hole through the stone. He grabbed his apprentice and darted inside, using the Force to move faster than humanly possible.

It was almost enough. A shot from a droideka's cannon, smashed into his arm, blowing the porsthetics in two. He grunted as shrapnel and few stray blaster bolts struck his armor. It held admirably.

Ahsoka was not that lucky. She wasn't wearing an armor. The blaster bolts which managed to hit her during their brief flight to temporally safety, seared wounds across her left thigh and shoulder.  
She shouted in pain and sagged in Anakin's grip.

Skywalker cursed venomously. His lightsaber was still outside, gripped by the fingers of his severed artificial hand. At least it wasn't the good one.

He glanced at Snips, who was in no condition to move on her own. At least not fast enough to matter.

Anakin could hear the metal feet of the machines clattering over the rock covered ground outside. They would be all over them in moments.

**=RK=**

Couple of hundred meters. It could as well be miles.**  
**  
Rex threw an Ion grenade at a group of Super Battle droids, which danced under the energy discharge before falling to the ground into a smoking heap. The damn things weren't heedlessly throwing themselves into his men's blasterfire. Instead the droids were taking cover, and were simply content to pin him down.

The Captain knew why. If the machines managed to take out the General and Ahsoka, he and his soldiers would be easy to dispatch. Kriff it all, the damn things didn't really need to directly kill the clones. If their commander found it practical, the robots could simply keep them under siege and starve them out.

It wasn't like he had a bunch of tactical options as he and his men were armed only with blaster carbines and Ion grenades. Besides, the latter were running out...

**=RK=****  
**

**Krayt Company, Alpha site, Ryloth**

I submerged myself deeply in the Light side of the Force. It stung as it passed through me and interacted with the tendrils of darkness still clinging to my being. As usual, I had used the Dark side during the battle, and the both sides of the same coin, so to speak, didn't like playing nice with each other.

The Force energies were like a cool balm, extinguishing the stabs of pain in my left arm. I felt the cracks in my bones knitting together, until only a light, dull ache remained.

Good enough.

I turned my attention to Bo-Katan, who lied dazzled on the ground. The crash had made a number on her. Broken and bruised ribs, a bit of internal bleeding, concussion, broken arm...

I placed my hands on her chest and let the Force energies use me as a conduit and flow through me and into the wounded woman.

The Force could be a wondrous things. Injuries which would take hours spent in a bacta tank to heal, were mending moments later under my ministrations.

**=RK=**

Bo-Katan grunted in pain as the pieces of a broken rib shifted within her chest. She felt woozy and her eyes weren't working right. She blinked and stared. Over her, a blurred image of two men were kneeling. They had their hands on her chest.

She frowned and tried to slug the bastards but her right arm exploded in pain and refused to obey.

Broken. Her mind dutifully supplied the explanation.

Kryze froze. She could feel her broken rib shifting and then... knitting back together. It was not by any means the only strange sensation passing through her body.

She could feel... Liquid? Draining from her lungs. There was a pinch within her chest and Bo-Katan somehow knew that an internal injury had just been sealed by a patch of healthy flesh.

Soon her right hand followed. The bones under her skin moved like they were alive, but it didn't hurt.

No, that wasn't right. There was the pain, but it was distant, as if it was behind a wall of light, which was not only acting as a painkiller, but it made her calm. That thing, whatever it was, was the reason she felt unusually calm, given the circumstances.

Her right hand twitched as the bone was regrowing in the correct way. Around the bone, injured tissue was healing at an astounding rate.

At last, Bo-Katan could feel a warm stream passing through her body, washing her headache away. Her eyes focused and now there was only one man kneeling over her. It was the general she fought with. Her eyes trailed down his arms and she frowned. His left had was laying in the valley between her breasts and his right was over her heart, with its palm cupping part of her left breast.

Bo-Katan's right eye twitched and she put her freshly healed right hand to the test. She slugged the armored head of the man standing over her. Hard.

He just took it and tilted his head to the left.

"If you've got it out of your system, we need to talk." he said calmly, as if she hadn't hit him hard enough to crack someone's jaw.


	25. Chapter 13 Part 5

****AN: This ********part******** was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum: ********Gatemaster********! Thank you for the great work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**=RK=**

**Phase 13: Turning Point**

**=RK=**

**Part 5**

**Krayt Company, Alpha Site, Ryloth**

That stung. If it wasn't for my helmet, her armored fist could have easily broken my jaw.

"That gives a brand new meaning to the term 'battle'!" whistled Boil.

I glanced his way and then to where my hand was a moment ago. I cringed. I knew I could claim that placing my palm over her heart made healing her a bit more efficient power wise, which was even true, but no one would believe me. Besides, that never passed through my mind while I was patching up our resident Mandalorian.

I could hear Boil whispering something to his buddy and couple of clones started snickering.

"Waxer!" I snapped.

"It will be a pleasure, sir!" said the man, with a bit too much relish for his friend's comfort.

"Waxer! No, wait a minute!" Boil walked backwards in an attempt to get away from his fellow soldiers.

Which led him straight to Captain Cat, who was talking with Numa and ignoring our antics. The glare the officer gave him was obvious despite his helmet. Cat slapped Boil on the back of the head.

The Captain barked, making his displeasure evident to us all:

"Boil! Stop acting like a kriffing joker! You are a soldier of the Republic! Act like it!"

If it wasn't for a warning which came through the Force, Bo-Katan would have blindsided me with her next punch. Instead, I grabbed her armored fist centimeters from my face.

"Our spar is over, Kryze." I snapped.

She chuckled in answer.

"I would say that the Jedi haven't fallen as much as we believed, but you aren't one of them. Are you?" she asked.

There was a hint of mischief in her tone.

"Me?! A Jedi? That's a good joke." I smirked. "Now, I believe that there was a point for your brazen entrance. What do you want?"

She stretched and moaned. The newly healed flesh was screaming in protest. It was something with which I was intimately familiar with. Good thing that I could use the Force to dampen any pain in my body.

"Wat Tambor, the local Confederation leader is losing control of the situation. He even gave up control over a significant portion of the droid forces deployed away from the capital to Hutt mercenaries." she grumbled. "As a sign that the CIS are willing to 'honor' their deal!" she sneered.

"Is that how you apparently have some authority over this mess?" I asked and pointed to the still smoking remains of the beasts.

Kryze shrugged. "It felt like a good idea at the time. However, I'm not in overall command of the droids stationed here. There is a tactical droid who does the job. I was sent merely as an adviser." she grumbled.

My men gave her dirty looks, and a few of them started muttering before a glare of Cat silenced them. Can't blame them. I wasn't thrilled either from the attack of those unwilling kamikazes.

At least my men got out of it unscratched, which in combination with my little spar with the woman, did a lot to make cooperation with her acceptable. Without really hurting the morale. They were trained by mandalorian mercenaries themselves, so each one of my troopers was aware of at least the basics of the Mando culture.

"You still haven't answered my question, Bo-Katan. What do you want?"

"Tambor dead. And preferably to get of this rock in one piece."

"I can guarantee the first. We may have some issues with the second."

She stiffened for a brief second. Only my Force enhanced senses allowed me to perceive it. Kryze was ready to attack me if the situation warranted it.

"Your presence here, no matter the "official" reason, paints you and the Death Watch as accomplices of all the atrocities committed by the CIS on Ryloth. The fact that your organization is little more than a bunch of common terrorists, who now will be seen as slavers to booth, doesn't help you." I stated.

She bristled hearing my accusation.

"That's a lie! We are True Mandalorians, not a bunch of common criminals! All we want is to return our people to their senses! We are not a bunch of pacifistic cowards!"

"So you want to turn back the Mandalorian people back to their warrior roots. Commendable." I gave her a respectful nod, which took her off guard.

"That's an unexpected sentiment from a Republic General..." she whispered.

"However, the Death Watch is doing it the wrong way. All that you'll achieve by acting as common terrorists is to antagonize your own people. "

"Those cowards are not our people! We are warriors through and through!" Bo-Katan snapped at me.

"Perhaps. Yet you need them if you want to amount to anything but a single rogue clan. You need to win their hearts and minds, something that won't happen thanks to acts of petty terrorism." I smiled under my helmet. "You need to give a cause to the average New Mandalorian. A reason to put away his pacifism and embrace  
their true nature."

Kryze stared at me thinking furiously.

"You have a plan, I take it?" she asked.

"Many in fact." I nodded in the direction of the CIS artillery. "Tambor and his ilk, with their actions of Ryloth gave us unbeatable propaganda victory. In days, the entire galaxy will know what to expect if the CIS win. What happens on this world can, if presented properly, turn your peace loving New Mandalorians into bloodthirsty warriors of legend, ready to tear the Confederacy apart."

She shook her head in denial.

"Its unlikely. My sister and her lapdog abhor violence and war."

"Then persuade them otherwise." I challenged her. "Once it is clear that Death Watch members were on Ryloth, aiding the CIS, they'll have no chance of swaying the masses on Mandalore. And that is if you are lucky." It was left unsaid that if they supported the kriffing Confed bastards, there would be hell to pay.

Once the true extent of the CIS depravities on Ryloth became known across the galaxy, the war was going to become really ugly.

Bo-Katan glared at me. I could sense her mood. At the moment her emotions were shifting like an interceptor trying to evade multiple enemy fighters.

Kryze and the Death Watch were now in a trap unwittingly made by whoever sent them here, and I was pretty sure that was done by their leader. Even a rumor of her organization's involvement with the events here would deal a deadly blow the their credibility. Even worse, from her point of view, was that she was that proof.

I could feel how the realization was dawning on her. After nearly a minute of silence she shook her head sadly.

"Even if we manage to pull off a Coup d'etat, it will be for naught. Unless we do it with full support of the CIS." she grumbled.

"In such a case, there will be a hell to pay." I added.

My smile turned into a grin. I had the best weapon to use against a mandalorian. I had a just scored a great victory in space, despite the severe mauling my forces had taken in the process. Even better, I had challenged her in single combat and won.

"You'll have a choice to make, Bo-Katan Kryze." I declared. "You can help your misguided people open their eyes and become what they were meant to be – True Mandalorians! Honorable warriors, who could be the envy of the galaxy." I lowered my voice. "Or will you try to turn them into a bunch of barbarians like the most of the Death Watch."

"What do you know about what it means to be a True Mandalorian?!" she scoffed.

"You'd be surprised." I muttered quietly. "You have some time to make your decision." I said aloud.

"Aren't you the generous one?!"

"When I can afford to be." I ignored her sarcasm. "You are pretending to be a common mercenary. Its time to act as one," I waved at her. "Congratulations! You are hired to assist us in liberating Ryloth."

**=RK=**

Bo-Katan shook her head in exasperation. That man was trying his best to push all her buttons! And almost succeeding!

Even worse, he actually beat her in single combat! Her, Bo-Katan, the second in command of the Death Watch! His gall at outright saying that her organization was nothing more than a bunch of common criminals didn't sting her pride that much! She was defeated by a non-mandalorian!

She glared at him.

And it was getting worse. Of course it did.

There was a small, treacherous part of her mind that agreed with his logic. That was even worse.

Bo-Katan glowered at the man, wondering what she was going to do.

**=RK**

**CIS Positions, Alpha Site, Ryloth****  
**  
Cat was not thrilled with his General's newest harebrained scheme. The only thing preventing him from complaining was the fact that Veil's ideas tended to work. So far.

Two third of his company, the damn mercenary and the Captain were about to execute an attack as a diversion. They were to try sucking as many of the droids out as possible, so the General could hit the artillery with less resistance. They were taking positions in the canyon leading to the inner part of the village, where the hostages and heavy guns were located.

Cat waited until the countdown, displayed on his helmet's visor, hit zero and nodded at Boil, who was armed with his missile launcher. The rest of the clones toting such weapons were further back, out of sight from their enemies, and took their lead from him and readied their own weapons.

A single missile flew from the clone line and impaled a CIS tank. Its armor was found lacking and the machine slumped to its right, sending a fountain of smoke and fire into the air.

This acted as a signal, causing the clones to send a torrent of blaster fire at the droids. Many of the machines were scythed down before the tanks returned the favor. Their cannons and secondary armaments roared in defiance, sending streams of scarlet death at the clones.

This first barrage saw eight of Cat's men obliterated. He bit of a curse and continued to lay down blaster fire, shoulder to shoulder with his men. He had to make it look believable.

**=RK=**

**Ghost Company, Gamma Site, Ryloth**

Obi-Wan and Cody looked at each other. They were standing over the destroyed chassis of a Super Battle droid. One that had been modified with a missile launcher in its left arm.

"That might work, General."

Twenty odd minutes later, Kenobi led the survivors of his company into attacking the final CIS defensive perimeter. They had seven salvaged missile launchers with nineteen reloads spread amongst them.

Two tall buildings, which were remade into strong points by the droids, were turned into rubble by a pair of warheads each. That opened the way for the clones by silencing the heavy repeater blasters placed in the dwellings upper floors.

Obi-Wan led the charge, using his lightsaber to deflect the blaster bolts coming his way. By making himself the primary target, he allowed more of his men to live. The troopers in turn did their best to eliminate the droids shooting at them and their general.

As per the plan, Cody ordered two squads to secure each flank and slow down the droids converging on the site where the GAR had just penetrated their lines. The Captain led the rest of his men after Obi-Wan, straight towards the artillery position, which was just behind a low row of lightly defended buildings.

Three more missiles shattered most of the resistance in their front, allowing Kenobi to lead an understrength platoon to the proton cannons.

Behind them, the rearguard were fighting for their lives in a desperate attempt to hold the attention of the CIS droids protecting the perimeter. For them, the next few minutes were an orgy of death and destruction.

Needles of azure and crimson colored energy crisscrossed in the air, leaving ruins everywhere they hit. Soon the broken bodies of men and machines littered the ground.

Cody signaled most of his men to spread out throughout the buildings and start clearing the droids, while the clones carrying the remaining missile launchers went after the cannons.

In front of them, Kenobi burst in the small plaza, where the artillery was located. He charged amidst the squads of B1s acting as a last ditch defense, thus concentrating their attention on himself.

It worked. Mostly.

One of the B1's, which was operating a proton cannon, was not fooled like his brethren and turned his weapon at the cluster of buildings being cleared by the clones. It send a snap shot at a wall behind which a squad of Republic troopers were advancing.

The only reason Cody and the rest of his men survived was that the smart fuse of the shell decided that it was too close to the gun which fired it to detonate at anything more that a fraction of its potential yield. The explosion only ended the lives of five clones, knocked four more out and despite the sound dampeners on their armors, deafened five more.

Yet, that was too little too late. Cody's men who had salvaged missile launchers had shot a moment earlier.

The armor of the proton cannons, which were protecting them from light weapons and shrapnel, proved woefully inadequate against missiles. Besides, each warhead was aimed at the open fire control station of the mobile artillery emplacements.

Four of the five guns fell to the ground as neutered wrecks.

The only one that had no missile aimed at remained in CIS control for couple of seconds longer, before the B1 operating it was struck by a blaster bolt which Kenobi had deflected its way.

The Jedi and his still battle ready troopers made a short work of the few remaining droids trying to protect the artillery emplacements.

Cody who had been dazed by the artillery shell that wiped out one of his squads came back to the real world. He winced. His head was ringing something awful.

The Captain stared through a nearby window and saw that the proton cannons were neutralized. The General and two of his men were busy releasing the locals and pointing them at the guns of the destroyed droids.

Right. They were still in danger.

Cody accessed the comm suite of his armor and smiled grimly. The jamming in the surrounding area was almost gone. His comm could easily burn through what little enemy ECM was bleeding from nearby areas.

"This is Ghost Actual! Gamma is condition green! I repeat Gamma is condition green! The cannons are neutralized!" he took a deep breath before shouting in the receiver. "We need immediate air support! I repeat, we need immediate air support at my coordinates!"

"Roger, Ghost Actual. We are lifting now. Eta, two minutes." Cody who was nearly deaf was unable to hear the cool answer of Razor One, the leader of the gunship wing which brought them down to Ryloth.

**=RK=**

Kenobi had released twenty four locals, before he felt that he was running out of time.

"Release the others and grab a gun. There are a lot of droids which are about to hit us any moment! We need your help to hold them off until reinforcements arrive." Obi-Wan ordered the elderly woman who appeared to be the village leader.

She nodded and repeated his words on her native tongue.

Most of the released locals, who were the men and women Kenobi felt would be best for helping him and his men in stopping the inevitable droid counter attack, were hastily arming themselves. Only two, who were armed with vibroblades given to them by the clones, continued to cut free their fellow prisoners.

The Jedi glanced at the sole still operational cannon and shook his head. It was useless right now. They had to stop the droids before the machines reached the buildings surrounding the artillery site. Anything less would leave few hundreds of bound locals in the crossfire.

He rushed towards the place he felt Cody's presence.

Moments later, Kenobi found the Commander. The clone was shouting in his comm for air support. Good. With the local guns silenced, the LAATs should be able to help dispatching the remaining droids.

"Cody, what's the ETA of the air support?" asked Obi-Wan, but his subordinate didn't even notice him.

It took Kenobi patting the clone on the shoulder, before Cody paid him any attention.

"Sorry, sir! I didn't hear you!" screamed the Commander.

"No need to be so loud!" quipped Obi-Wan. He glanced at the devastated interior of the building and frowned.

"Can't hear you sir!" shouted Cody.

The Jedi shook his head. He only hoped that his friend wasn't permanently deaf.

Kenobi patted Cody on the shoulder and pointed him in the direction of the droids who had mostly mopped up the squads left to slow them down.

The clone officer nodded, and took position behind a half-demolished wall.

They were being joined by more and more locals, who had armed themselves with weapons taken from destroyed droids.

One of the clones, a corporal who Kenobi didn't know, looked at the volunteers and muttered: "Great. We might even make it."

"We will make it, soldier!" the General said loudly, in an attempt to reassure both the clone troopers who were not deafened and the locals.

Heartbeats later, the droids which were still active, disregarded the couple of survivors from the rearguard and charged the rest of Kenobi's force.

They were met with whithering amount of blasterfire. However most of the shots snapped by the locals missed by miles.

The B1 droids, were falling down in droves as the cannon fodder they were, but in doing so, those machines were soaking up fire which was not hitting their more dangerous brethren. The B2 Super Battle Droids were the ones retaliating effectively to the fire of the flimsy line of clones and armed civilians.

The walking wall of steel was coming closer and closer, paying with four of their mechanical lives for every one of the defenders they were claiming.

It was an exchange rate that the CIS troops could afford to pay.

Even the sole survivor of the rear guard, who was sending blue needles of concentrated energy at the backs of the advancing machines, did little to dissuade the machines from wiping out Kenobi, his men and the locals helping them.

The droids were mere three meters from the Republic remnants, when the air vibrated with the familiar droning of LAAT gunships. Some of the robots turned around started scanning the air for the perceived threat.

It did them little good besides being able to see the craft which ended their existence.

A whole wing of heavily armed LAATs flew centimeters over the roofs of the village's dwellings. The predatory forms of the gunships dashed over the advancing droids. They unleashed missiles and rockets, blowing up the droids farthest from Cody's position. Thin darts of laser fire came to life from the small ball turrets mounted at the noses of the LAATs, neatly slicing the droids into pieces.

Kenobi released a breath he didn't realize he was holding. The Force be damned machines were caught in the open and demolished in short order. The sight of droids being turned into scrap didn't make him feel any better.

Most of his men were gone or mercifully only wounded. Dozens of the locals had perished in the last, desperate firefight.

Despite all that, they had "won". The artillery at this position was neutralized, and hopefully Anakin and Delkatar had also taken their objectives, or would do so soon.

Obi-Wan looked to his right. There was a girl, no more than fifteen years old, laying slumped on her side. Here empty purple eyes were looking straight at the Jedi.

Kenobi closed his eyes, calling on the Light Side of the Force once more. He felt its rejuvenating touch and concentrated on it, releasing the bitterness he was feeling, as well as the first wisp of anger aimed at the CIS leader who had decided to use the locals as live shields.

To Obi-Wan, the so called "success" of taking down the guns tasted as bitter as defeat.


	26. Chapter 13 Part 6

****AN: This ********part******** was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum:********BigSky********! Thank you for the great work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**=RK=**

**Phase 13: Turning Point**

**=RK=**

**Part 6**

**Krayt Company, Alpha Site, Ryloth**

Cat had lost twenty two men, dead and wounded before calling in the retreat. Most of them were taken out by the damn tanks.

The Captain glanced behind his back once he had slid behind a new cover. Half a dozen tanks were moving in pursuit, followed by two companies of Super Battle droids. Behind those, four more tanks, the last that were supposed to be in the region as well as more droids are moving in to defensive positions in the chokepoint.

So far everything was going according to the plan. If the damn woman kept her part of the deal with the General, that is.

A loud roar revebratted through the canyon, almost deafening Cat. An overpressure wave slammed at the rock he was using as cover, shaking it. He glanced over it and smiled.

The tanks, while unharmed from the blast-wave, were moved out of their precise formation. Most of the droids were on the ground, thrown off their feet.

So she came through.

"Fire at will!" ordered Cat and followed his own order.

A moment passed before eight missiles streaked at the six CIS tanks which were pursuing the clones and the machines infantry support. The warheads slammed into the CIS armor, blasting through the tough composite. Once the tank's defenses were breached, the inside of the machines were engulfed into a hellish storm of plasma, molten metal, and shrapnel. In two cases, something truly critical was damaged, and the machines blew up, sending their turrets sailing through the air. The rest of the tanks died less spectacular deaths, but were nonetheless left laying on the ground as expensive sculptures of modern art.

**=RK=**

Bo-Katan was almost impressed by the clones tenacity. They had kept up their mock attack until nearly a sixth of their company's total numbers were down, then executed a flawless fighting retreat, taking their fallen with them.

Only to lead their pursuers into an ambush, which Kryze sprung when she blew up the charges planted by the CIS at the chokepoint. By that single action alone, she buried a third of the droids protecting the proton cannons, as well as their remaining tanks.

The blast wave sent a lot of the machines into disarray, something she took advantage of. The Mandalorian warrior activated her rocket-pack and jumped from behind the boulder behind which she too cover. She strafed a mauled platoon of Super Battle droids, raining blaster fire and missiles at the machines.

Only on her third pass any of their counter-fire came anywhere close to her and by that time only three B2's were still relatively intact. On her last pass one of them even managed to hit her, but its shot splashed over her Mandalorian steel forged armor, melting off some of the tough alloy but leaving her unharmed.

There was nothing left standing to warrant a fifth pass.

**=RK=**

I led my chosen strike team through the sewers, with Numa trailing off at the back of the column with Waxer and Boil. According to Bo-Katan, there were at least few remaining scout droids hunting for stragglers through the village. All of them armed, so I decided that the kid was safer with us as long as she stayed underground while we dealt with the robots.

When we were at the exit leading to the plaza with the cannons and the hostages, I stopped for a brief moment. I drew the Force to me, drinking deeply from it.

Pale Ionic energy danced around my left hand, ready to be unleashed.

"Check your targets, we have civies spread amongst the clankers. Cover each other and don't get killed. That's an order!"

A round of brief chuckles answered me.

I levitated the hatch barring our way. It turned out to be well oiled and opened without a sound. I exited first, with my sword at the ready, but inactive.

There was a droid in front of me, with its back turned towards me. It was busy clearing up a nearby cage. Probably where the now filleted animals were being kept. I sent the energy engulfing my arm at it, which struck it soundlessly. The droid froze, giving off a soft buzz/hiss sound and fell like a puppet with its strings cut.

I caught it with the Force, gently placing it on the dirty floor, so it won't clatter.

Behind me, my men were quietly exiting and taking positions near the walls of the tunnel.

We were in time. There were twenty seven seconds before the agreed attack time. Cat would be executing his part of the plan any minute now.

I waited patiently until the counter reached zero, despite the battle lust racing through my veins, feeding off the Dark side energies I was using to empower myself.

An explosion sounded not too far away. I could sense a lot of droids heading that way.

I waited while my men attacked the CIS forces as a diversion. I waited as they fought and died, sensing each one of them passing away.

Fourteen of my soldiers died to give us an opening to destroy our targets and save the locals.

Explosions, strong enough to shake the ground echoed overhead and darted forward. A Force enhanced leap led me in the middle of the plaza, where I landed feet first over the torso of a B1. The flimsy machine's torso caved under my weight and momentum, wrecking it.

The one which was next to it was bisected by my blade, while I sent an energy bolt resembling a thin, pale bolt of lightning at one of the robots controlling a proton cannon.

That machine died with its internal components slagged.

I was on the move, not stopping for more than a moment in order to sent an ionic bolt at an artillery droid.

My men surged from the tunnel, taking aimed shots at any droid that was moving.

Two of them were carrying missile launchers. The troopers turned their weapons on the enemy cannons, which were trying to reorient themselves and target us. Their armor caved in when hit by warhead designed to take out dedicated tanks, leaving only two operational cannons.

"Take out the left!" I shouted an order to my AT troopers and ran straight at the one to the right. Its gun was almost pointing at me.

If it shot now, I was likely a goner as well as a lot of civies.

I threw my lightsaber at an annoying Super Battle droid which flew backwards, impaled with my blade. The Force surged through me as I commanded and molded it to my will. My arms were covered by a ghostly sheer of energy which became concentrated enough to blur their outlines.

I used this energy to grab the artillery emplacement that was my target and pick it up. I wrenched it upward. The gun barrel tore from its chassis split second after sending a proton shell at the heavens.

I left the two pieces fall to the ground and they smashed two Super Battle droids which were shooting at me.

Crimson blaster bolts scorched the chest-plate of my armor, its composite leaking in half molten streams down my torso. I winced at the heat which fought with the environmental controls of my armor in an attempt to sear my flesh. I felt stinging sensation over my chest before the armor managed to regulate the internal temperature and cool down to acceptable levels.

The ancient piece of equipment saved my life once again, but was mostly ruined. I hoped that I'd be able to patch it up to an acceptable condition before I entered in my next battle.

Replacing my armor with something giving me equivalent protection would be possible only when the first variants of light power armor were operational in few months. At least the exoskeletons would be ready for combat testing earlier...

A stray shot which passed too close for comfort brought me back to the present. Damn it all! I had spaced out in the middle of combat! A great way to get oneself killed.

I rolled under a long burst sent my way by a SB droid and fried it with an ionic bolt, before summoning my sword.

The plaza was battered by a blast-wave as two missiles blew up the last proton cannon, before it could bear on any of us.

After that, moping up the few still active droids which were nearby was easy.

"LT! Get a couple of squads to start releasing the hostages. Two more squads with me. We are going to hunt down the remaining droids. The rest of you establish a perimeter and secure it." I ordered.

Before we headed for the pass, to deal with the enemy stragglers I checked the casualties. Five of my men were hit during the melee. Only two of them would recover.

Eighteen Twi'lek were wounded. Ten died before the Acclamators landed and we could provide them with adequate medical assistance.

Four of them were children.

**=RK=**

Bo-Katan flew through the canyon, towards the artillery position. On her way she strafed few droids, most of which were the almost harmless and useless B1s.

Half a click from the plaza, she found a single tank driving away from the rock-slide she had caused. Kryze grinned when she recognized the droid whose upper body could be seen from the open commander's hatch. It was the Tactical one responsible for the defense of this village.

That sick clanker had been irritating her since the moment she met it.

She dived towards the ground and released her single remaining heavy missile. It struck the tank in the lesser rear armor, punching through like a heavy turbolaser through defenseless freighter. Bo-Katan must have hit something vital, because the armored vehicle erupted in an impressive pyrotechnic conflagnation, which sent the half melted and shredded upper torso of the Tactical droid high in the air.

The woman chuckled and sent few blaster bolts at the failing piece of scrap. It was demolished even further and pieces of it rained all over the canyon.

Soon after that, Bo-Katan met Veil, who was leading ten men against the last remaining droids. He was deflecting the machines shots and frying them with wide arches of lightning emanating from his left hand. No one seeing him at that moment could mistake him for a Jedi.

He fought with ferocity that could be envied by many a Mandalorian.

She licked her lips and smiled like a predator who had just scented its next meal.

Down below, the General stopped his progress and stared straight at her.

Bo-Katan smirked. She was going to have so much fun with that clueless man!

**=RK=**

**Torrent Company, Beta Site, Ryloth**

Rex ducked under a missile launched by a B2 droid, which was soon taken down by burst of blaster fire sent its way from three clones. One of those men was cut to pieces by the concentrated fire from no less that fifteen machines.

The Captain threw his last grenade at a pair of Super Battle droids which had missile launchers and were preparing to use them.

The energy blast fried the circuits of the machines as they tried to fire their weapons. One warhead blew up in the barrel of its launcher, making the robot attached to it into so much steel fillings.

The other was marginally "luckier". Its missile launched clearly and promptly struck a nearby building, tearing up its facade.

Three more droids were taken out with well aimed burst of fire, then another trooper fell after being hit in the head. An Ion grenade dropped a quartet of B2s which were bunched close to each other.

For first time in his life, Rex felt totally helpless. He had committed his reserves, his men were pinned down and encircled, with no room to maneuver, while the enemy was picking them one by one.

The Captain emptied the last few shots remaining in the power cell of his left hand pistol, demolishing a particularly troublesome Super Battle droid and went behind the low wall he used for cover to reload. He was wracking his brain for anything that could permit him to save at least few of his brothers but there was nothing he could think of.

Even worse, he had lost contact with the Jedi and any attempt to raise them was met with static.

Another clone died – the cover he was kneeling behind was demolished by a missile, and the blast-wave hurled the man's body was hurled into a nearby wall.

Rex opened fire at the machine that just killed one of his soldiers and didn't go back under cover before the damn thing was down.

The Captain blinked in confusion. He was feeling hot, very hot. Rex looked down and stared at the smoking ruin which was the piece of his armor that was supposed to cover his gut.

Ah. That explained it. At least he didn't feel pain. Which was not supposed to be a good thing. Right?

He grunted and shot off the head of a B1 which was trying to advance despite the fierce resistance of his men.

Kriffing clankers!

**=RK=**

Anakin was standing in front of his wounded apprentice who was leaning on the wall behind them and using her lightsaber to deflect the shots coming from the advancing droids.

"I'm sorry, Snips. I kriffed up." he muttered.

"We can't win them all, Master!" she chuckled with dark humor. "You should get away while you still can, Skyguy." she added in a somber tone.

Anakin smiled sadly and shook his head. If he ran, and abandoned Ahsoka as well as Rex and rest of his men, he had a chance to make it out. Small, but it was there.

He glanced Ahsoka's way and gave her a reassuring smile, which both of them knew for the lie it was. Their only chance for survival was an immediate airstrike at the proton cannons, followed by a wing of LAAT's taking apart the droids before the clankers could blast them to pieces. But even if the gunships left in that precise minute, they would be too late. The LAAT's that brought them down, which were the closest Republic assets, were three minutes away.

In less than a half of that time the droids would have his position demolished and overran.

Anger aimed at his own self, at his overconfidence and the arrogant way he had carried out this mission raged within Skywalker.

He knew it in his heart. It was his own mistakes that got them all killed. While he could sense about a third of Torrent company still fighting, the clones under Rex's command were blinking one after another from Anakin's perception. Even the Captain was slowly becoming less bright to his senses.

Rex was wounded. Badly.

Another clone died. A man he was responsible for.

Anakin shouted in anger and frustration. He gave voice to all his bottled feelings, his anguish and failure.

Skywalker scream revebratted through the Force, resonating with dark power.

The half-demolished wall through which he had brought Ahsoka in their short lived redoubt was shattered to grain sized pieces as a visible ripple passed through the air. It continued after smashing the stone and released its power outside, tearing apart the droids in its path.

Anakin panted, gasping for air. At least a hundred droids lied in pieces.

He stared at the devastation he had somehow wrought before he was brought back by Ahsoka's shouting: "Skyguy! This is your chance! Run!"

Skywalker glanced at his apprentice for a moment, uncomprehending. She gazed back, straight at his yellow tinted eyes.

He shook his head, grabbed her and used the Force to blast open a hole in the wall at the back, while no one was shooting at him.

Anakin disregarded Ahsoka's protests and dragged her deeper in the building.

'Skywalker! What the hell are you doing? Why can I hear you even over here?!'

Anakin was startled as Delkatar's Voice sounded in his head. He glanced at Ahsoka who looked back with her huge eyes.

"Did you hear that, too?" he wondered aloud.

The padawan nodded her head and winced as her wounded leg hit an upturned table. Her attempts to suppress the pain through the Force weren't working as well as she hoped.

'We are in deep banta shit!' Skywalker thought aloud.

'That we are.' mentally answered Ahsoka.

'Explain! Now!' snapped Veil, through the bond he shared with Skywalker's padawan.

Her eyes widened. She was connected through the Force with both men and Delkatar was using her like some sort of conduit to speak with her and her master!

'We are in trouble, Delkatar. Master lost his prosthetic arm, I'm wounded and Rex and Torrent company are getting cut to pieces. We won't last much longer!'

**=RK=**

**Krayt Company location, Alpha Site, Ryloth**

I closed my eyes and frowned. If Ahsoka's and Anakin's situation was as bad as I felt thanks to my strange bond with the kid, then I had no planet bound asset that could make it to their position in time.

Fighters or bombers from orbit wouldn't cut it either. I felt that they had only few minutes. At best.

An orbital strike would wipe them out. They were too close for such a thing. The space ships weapons were too powerful for danger close strikes. Or were they...

Ion cannons. But those that could effectively hit ground targets from orbit were the heavy guns on the Venators. At least couple of those were still operational, but even at low power they had very high chance of frying unprotected people on the ground. It was the reason why I didn't use them to take out the cannons and had to proceed with the ground attacks.

I ran to a nearby trooper who was carrying a laser comm system. It was a foolproof way to connect with our orbital assets despite the enemy ECM, which was death to long range comms.

Despite having dealt with the droids in our immediate vicinity, there was at least one ECM emitter hidden nearby which was keeping us in the dark, so to speak.

It took one long minute, in which I could feel echoes through my connection with Ahsoka. Anakin's soldiers were dying.

"Sir, I've got the Admiral on the line."

I grabbed the comm set from my man.

"Admiral, Yularen. I need immediate Ion cannon strike in the vicinity of Site Beta. Minimum safe distance and power. Skywalker's being overran as we speak." I ordered and snapped the long string of my identification code for the day.

"Immediately, sir!" he answered crisply.

**=RK=**

**Republic Fleet, High orbit over Ryloth**

It took nearly another minute for the frantic orders to pass through the chain of command. The Victory had to rotate so her sole surviving Ion cannon could bear on the surface, while targeting solutions were crunched by her computers.

Then she fired, sending columns of Ion energy at a certain spot on the planed below. They struck one point two kilometers behind the Proton cannons which were Skywalker's target. That was about two and a half clicks from where Torrent Company and the Jedi were making their last stand.

The Ion energy, which is so deadly for any machine usually had mild effects on organic life. A pulse of a grenade could give a light shock, perhaps cause mild burns.

The main cannons of a Venators were of entirely different league. And while they could dial up and down their power, those weapons were never meant to be fired where an unshielded beings could be hit.

A tsunami of ion energy washed over the village. The power surged around and _through _the buildings, often discharging itself in the form of lightning bolts.

Droids burnt and melted. Some even exploded.

The artillery park was engulfed by an ion storm which shattered the cannons and some of their shells, wiping out everything in the plaza and hundreds of meters around.

The Jedi and the remnants of Torrent Company were lucky. The blast-wave was stopped by the buildings of the village short of them.

Those same dwellings did nothing to even slow down the energy surges, powerful enough to fry an adult humanoid with a single strike. Both clones and droids were electrocuted by torrents of power.

Nearby, in a half demolished building, Anakin sensed a warning screamed at him through the Force. He tossed Ahsoka in nearby corner and jumped over her, covering his apprentice with his body.

Skywalker raised over them the most powerful anti-radiation shield he could and prayed to the Force that it would be enough.

Bolts of Ion energy arched through the house and struck Anakin's barrier. Skywalker felt as if his entire body was on fire and he screamed hoarsely until he blacked out.


	27. Chapter 14 Part 1

****AN: This part was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum: Cypher3au! Thank you for the great work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 14: Ryloth: Endgame**

**=RK=**

**Part 1**

**=RK=**

**Med bay, Assault Ship Courageous, Republic LZ, Ryloth**

I was watching as doctors and med droids were working on Anakin. They were cutting charred pieces of cloth and armor off of him. In the room to the right, Ahsoka was being treated for her blaster wounds. Thanks to Skywalker, who had mostly shielded her with his body and Force powers, she was only mildly singed. If she had been wearing an armor, she might have gotten away only with mild injuries.

That was something we were going to talk about, once the docs were finished with her.

Next to me, Kenobi was staring with empty eyes at his former apprentice, who was covered with first and second degree burns.

When all was said and done, Anakin got lucky. Oh, he'll have some impressive scarring across his chest and would need to wear a resperator mask for the next few weeks, but he was expected to make full recovery.

So would Captain Rex, who would be out of commission for a month or so. However, with the exception of four grievously wounded troopers, Torrent Company was gone.

Kenobi's men had fared a bit better; a small platoon could be assembled from the survivors of Ghost Company. Once they all are back on duty, which wwould take months and artificial limbs for some of them.

All in all, the assault on the artillery positions had turned out to be almost as big a clusterfuck as the space battle. I could scarcely believe it.

What in the name of the Force possessed the Jedi to go into battle with only blaster carbines and Ion grenades?!

"General Kenobi. Walk with me." I said in a tone leaving no room for mistaking my words as anything but orders and headed to the nearest conference room, where we could speak without someone interrupting us.

His head turned slowly my way and he stared at me for a few seconds before shaking his head and following me.

When we were both inside, I manipulated the door panel with the Force, making sure that we wouldn't be disturbed.

"General Kenobi, I'll read your and Skywalkers AARs when you are able to finish the damn things. Right now I want to know what the hell were you two idiots thinking?! You went in carrying only light weapons!" I shouted at him, which tore him out of his funk.

Obi-Wan winced and lowered his head.

"Two Companies of the finest men the Republic had, all but destroyed! Tell me General Kenobi, what were you thinking when you ordered your men to carry only carbines and Ion grenades against a numerous well entrenched enemy?!" Now, that I had his undivided attention, I spoke quietly. No need to shout any more.

"We came here to liberate the people of Ryloth. Not to demolish their homes..." he mumbled.

"Let me get this straight. You were armed for a peacekeeping action, despite being aware that the CIS would be dug in deep to protect the proton cannons. All because you wanted to keep a few damn buildings safe?!" I was incredulous.

"It's the Jedi way... causing wanton destruction, especially on a Republic world..."

I glared at him and pointed at his apparel.

"From the moment you put on that uniform, General, you have been a GAR general first and a Jedi second. Your duty is to the Republic and your men. The Jedi's creed is a very distant third. "

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to say something but I didn't give him the chance to speak. I slammed a Force enhanced fist at the table, denting it.

"Tell me, how many Twi'lek died because you two were playing games? If Skywalker had not followed your example, he might have been able to deal with the Confed resistance on the ground! I wouldn't have been forced to call in an orbital strike to clear the last kriffing cluster of proton cannons!" I hissed.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The turmoil that Kenobi was radiating, was obvious to anyone with the senses to pick it up.

"This is war! Not a police action or a run of the mill peacekeeping! When you mess around, more people die. The longer any single battle or the conflict as a whole lasts, the casualties became greater. For both sides, not to mention the civilians caught in between.

Obi-Wan, if you and the rest of the Jedi can't move from the mindset of a peacekeepers to that of a generals, you will get more people killed. Either directly by kriffing up as you and Anakin did today, and causing the deaths of your men when you kriffed up by the numbers. Or indirectly. Like you did by forcing me to sacrifice the civilians at Site Beta, so we could safely land our main force and proceed with liberating Ryloth. As we speak more people are dying in the CIS camps."

I shook my head.

"Sometimes people either under your direct command or civilians must be sacrificed so more people can be saved."

"That goes contrary to everything we are taught as Jedi! To everything we are!" exclaimed Obi-Wan.

"Then you have a decision to make, General Kenobi," I stated in a carefully bland voice. " You will either become the leader of men I know you can be, an officer that will be the pride of the Republics Armed forces. A General who does right by his oath and brings as many of his men home alive as possible. Or you will get out of the GAR. That is a choice all Jedi will have to make, sooner than later. We can't afford any more such 'victories'!" I pointed at the deck, and Ryloth's soil below it.

My comm beeped, breaking the moment. I bit off a curse and activated it.

"I'm listening."

"Sir, we have holocall from Coruscant. It's the Chancellor and General Valentra."

"Patch it to conference room 3A." I ordered.

The holoprojector around which the round table dominating the room was built, came to life showing the blue tinted images of Palpatine, Valentra, Yularen, Yoda and that of Ryloth's senator.

He was the same man I had ordered arrested for trying to release Grievous under Palpatine's instructions during the Hostage crisis on Coruscant. He got away, but not without suffering a serious blow to his power.

That man wasn't one of my greatest fans, but so far he's been unable to stir up too much trouble.

"Ah! General Veil! What is your progress?" exclaimed Palpatine.

He appeared pleased to see me in one piece. Which, considering who and what he was, meant nothing.

"We hold Ryloth's orbit and have annihilated the Separatist fleet blockading the planet. One Droid Command ship, two battleships and forty Munificents were destroyed by our forces as well as twelve thousand Vulture fighters. However we suffered heavy casualties in order to achieve such a feat."

"Excellent work, General!" Palpatine smiled at me.

It wasn't reassuring in the least.

"What is the situation on the ground?" asked Valentra.

"Our forces are disembarking and we'll proceed with the liberation of Ryloth as soon as that is done." I stated with a blank expression. "However there are some grim news you all should be aware of..." I proceeded to inform them about the slaves we saved in orbit and the Camps set up by the CIS.

Ryloth's senator started screaming for immediate action and I could see that Palpy was going to order it.

"You have to save those people, General! Consider this an order!" snapped Palpatine, faking a look of horror.

"The fastest way to finish this campaign will be to capture the Capital where Wat Tambor has his command center." I said, calling up a projection of the said city. It was build in on a solid rock spire, surrounded by a kilometers deep abyss.

"A siege could go on for months." Palpatine stated the obvious.

It was probably what he was hoping for. That would mean that I'll be stuck here for that long. Too bad, that I had other plans to deal with it...

"My people have suffered greatly! Such a siege will be too much!" grumbled the senator.

"Plan, have you, General Veil?" asked Yoda.

"While the Capital is our primary target, we need to dispatch strong forces to liberate the Camps. From a single battalion, up to an entire Regiment will be needed depending on how powerful the garrisons are. Once I have sufficient men near the major camps, we'll attack them at the same time. Because of that, I won't have enough free troops to assault the city while liberating the CIS held population. I intend to ask for help. It appears that despite their vicious attempts to suppress the resistance of the locals, the CIS has been unsuccessful. Cham Syndulla, leads the largest contingent of resistance fighters. I'll do my best to procure his assistance."

"He has the reputation of an extremist." the Chancellor gave me a grandfatherly smile which would have made Dumbledore proud. "He can be unpredictable."

"I don't trust him!" shouted the senator. "He is a power hungry maniac!"

"I'll leave Ryloth's politics in your capable hands, Senator. As per your orders, Chancellor, I'll do everything in my power to help the local population."

"And why we are not sending additional reinforcements?" asked Palpatine.

"We are stretched to the limit, sir." General Valentra joined the conversation. "There is no one else to send."

It was extremely fortunate that a squadron of Venators with escorts were already on the way, which would do a lot to shore up our space defenses. I didn't relish the possibility of the CIS sending in another fleet and blowing me out of orbit.

"It's unlikely that we would be able to achieve a timely victory without Syndulla." I stated with a grim expression on my face.

"Something to add, have you, Master Kenobi?" asked Yoda.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "No, Master Yoda."

"Very well. Liberate Ryloth, General Veil." ordered Palpatine before cutting the connection.

It was time to stretch my orders to their limits.

"Obi-Wan, if you decide to stay with us I have a job for you..."


	28. Chapter 14 Part 2

****AN: This part was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum: DaLintyGuy ! Thank you for the great work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 14: Ryloth: Endgame**

**=RK=**

**Part 2**

**Lorek Pass, Torangua Mountains, Ryloth**

Maximilian Veers watched the sensors display of his command tank like a hawk. The young officer was leading the vanguard of one of the armor columns braving the mountains. He was currently commanding a hover tank platoon, which was scouting ahead of the main force.

Above him, a pair of heavily armed gunships were lazily sweeping over the pass. Higher still, a couple of squadrons of fighters were flying CAP, on the lookout for any sign of CIS Vultures or bombers. Even in orbit, the ultimate high ground, a Venator, the _Victory,_ was hanging vigilant, ready to provide assistance if needed.

All that, didn't make the Lieutenant any less apprehensive. He was in a light tank, with only a shield generator for defense. One that maybe could take two shots before being overloaded.

You had to add to that the unpleasant fact that his hovercraft were no good for scaling vertical surfaces, such as the cliffs to the left, or flying, with the over two kilometers deep chasm on the right.

In front of his vehicle were two tanks of his command squad, both of which had their turrets sweeping from left to right in search of hostiles.

"Contact! You have enemy tanks and infantry activating to north east!" The voice of the_Victory's _sensor operator sounded from comms all along the armor column.

"Affirmative. We have them on our screens!" Confirmed the pilots of the gunships. "We are engaging."

"Lieutenant Veers! Push the vanguard forward and try to flush out any other surprises the Seps have for us." Ordered General Veil, who was riding with a group of a quick response LAATs, which had two companies of troopers ready to deploy.

"Wilco, sir!" Answered the younger man. "You heard, the General. We are moving out. I want five hundred meters separation between the platoon's elements."

The hover tanks' engines roared and the light machines darted forward, following the contour of the pass.

**=RK=**

The gunships flew over the mountain's peaks and followed the siren song of the droids energy emissions. Those two LAATs were heavily armed with both missile and rocket pods as well as rapid-fire lasers mounted under their short wings.

The pair appeared over the CIS forces. The Separatists machines were getting out of shallow trenches, where they had waited deactivated for Republic forces to come in range.

The lead LAAT released a couple of missiles aimed at two tanks which had gotten out of their hiding holes and were heading into firing positions over the GAR column. The heavy weapons struck the CIS machines from above, drilling effortlessly through their lighter top armor and detonating. The top third of the two stricken tanks disappeared into a flash of detonating explosives, and the resulting shock-wave obliterated a few B2 droids which were too close.

That first successful strike was followed by the gunships unleashing the rest of their weaponry before they finished their attack pass. Missiles blew up three more tanks, while rockets and lances of energy smashed into groups of droids.

The initial success of the LAATs was short-lived. The next CIS machine to awake was an AA emplacement, which opened up on the gunships. They were already finishing their strafing run and were able to avoid its initial flak fire. The two missiles it sent after them were a different matter.

The Republic craft spread out, increasing their speed and turning so they could target the weapon which which went after their comrade. One of the LAAT's managed to shoot down the missile going after its wing mate, before it could connect with it. The fire of the second one missed by centimeters, twin stilettos of green energy passing below and above the CIS weapon.

The missile struck the gunship from the side destroying one engine and heavily damaging the other. The LAAT spun out of control and plowed in the rocky ground.

The second one flew straight down in an attempt to go below the engagement envelope of the AA emplacement. That maneuver, as it turned out was not needed. A missile sent from one of the CAP fighters erased the AA site out of existence. Moments later, six V-19's strafed the CIS position.

**=RK=**

Lieutenant Veers glared at a mountain hill which was on the other side of the pass they were crossing. It was a good news/bad news thing.

The kriffing CIS had a position defended by proton cannons and heavy AA emplacements, from where their tanks and infantry could take potshots at the advancing Republic column without being too concerned by air or orbital attacks. The second option was out anyway, if the General wanted to use this pass. But the heavy cannons ensured that a Corvette or a Light Cruiser couldn't pass over the place where the Seps had entrenched themselves and plaster them with its secondaries. Not without getting shot down in retaliation.

Which was a problem. The fleet couldn't afford to loose any more ships, even one of the lighter ones. Such a thing would compromise even further the tentative hold the Navy had over Ryloth. Not a single GAR member on the ground wanted to think what would happen if the CIS sent a heavy fleet to retake the orbitals.

That left the ground forces with a problem. Now they had to brave a gauntlet under enemy fire. It wasn't a fun place to be.

Two of the CIS tanks which had taken positions on the ridge overlooking the pass concentrated their fire on the leading part of Veers' platoon.

They missed.

Maximillian had never been more grateful to the Seps own bean-counters, who were too cheap to pay for a decent targeting sensors and programing for the droid ground forces.

"Press forward! We need to get out of the pass ASAP and flank them!" Ordered the Lieutenant.

"Yes, sir!" He heard his driver shouting back a second before the tank darted forward, at a reckless speed.

That was all Veers could do. The position where his platoon was didn't give him many options.

They couldn't maneuver, or go back. Staying put would be a death sentence for his light tanks, and worse, would achieve nothing.

The eleven hover tanks flew towards the end of the pass, while exchanging fire with the CIS forces. The only high point was that while the Seps were busy shooting at his shielded machines, they were not bombarding the ponderous walkers which were striding forth with unmatched determination.

**=RK=**

**Eagle Flight, Lorek Pass, Torangua Mountains, Ryloth**

A droid operated tank took careful aim and fired. A fist made of crimson energy splashed over the shield of Maximilian's leading tank. The defensive field flashed brightly as it struggled to absorb and reflect the energies unleashed upon it, before the light show ended.

The hover tank, which was still intact, rotated its turret and roared its defiance. Its lighter, but faster firing cannon spoke. Three green bolts flew back at the CIS lines.

One missed.

The rest found their mark.

A deep, smoking rend appeared in the front armor of the enemy tank and the secondary weapons on the right side of its cupola were slagged by a hit.

In retaliation, four more of the Confed machines zeroed on the leading hover tank and fired in unison.

The shield stopped the first hit.

The next pierced the depleted defensive barrier as if it was not even there. It sliced through the thin armor protecting the turret and unleashed what remained of its fury on the people manning the hover thank.

The machine's commander, who acted a gunner too, was turned into ash from the waist up. The driver lived a bit longer thanks to the compartmentalization of the tank doing its job.

That proved useless when the front of the armored vehicle was struck by another cannon shot, which blew a hole in the glacis and obliterated the man.

I turned my senses towards the higher ground where the CIS forces had taken position. Their AA emplacements were already sending streams of laser fire and flocks of missiles at my CAP, forcing the Torrents back.

The fighters answered with their own weapons, which were met by wall of blaster fire. Only a handful of missiles got through, with only one reaching its target.

The end result was an AA site blown up in exchange for a pair of V-19's. It wasn't a trade I could afford.

Then another hover tank went in flames under the relentless enemy barrage. And I was grateful for it. I would gladly accept them blowing up my entire vanguard, despite Veers leading it, because it meant that the kriffing clankers weren't shooting at the pass itself.

Granted, the whole exercise was a damn diversion, but I needed everyone seeing what they believed my forces were doing. It was probably my best chance to end the mess on Ryloth fast.

So I was leading three regiments into a meat grinder while Kenobi prepared to do his part.

That still left me do deal with the CIS forces on the damn hills overlooking the pass.

Oh, I got a plan how to do it. It was just that a bunch of gunships from Earth would have been ideal for dealing with this situation. Flying through the pass, under the enemy AA umbrella, then popping a sensor pod over the edge of the canyon, locking on the targets and sending missiles to deal with them.

It was too bad that thanks to the enemy ECM my own gunships were unable to do so. They needed a line of sight to fire and that was suicide against the massed AA emplacements.

No orbital strike, an air attack being too costly on my remaining assets... And no kriffing indirect fire artillery! That was soon going to be climbing near the top of the list I needed the R&amp;D to see. Few self propelled arty pieces would have done wonders against the entrenched CIS forces. Hell, few mortars would do nicely too.

Just another thing to add to the list.

That left us dealing with the enemy the old fashioned way. With grunts on the ground.

The quick reaction force flew through the canyon until the LAATs were in position, just two meters under the edge of the cliffs where the droids deployed. Below us and to the left, the leading elements of my walker force were coming into range

Their heavy mass drivers opened fire, carefully aiming so they won't smash one of my transports by accident. That at least kept the droids nicely distracted from our approach.

My men launched grappling hooks, and once the devices found purchase on the rocks above us, they started climbing up. Once they were just below the edge, the clones drew thermal detonators and Ion grenades with one hand, and threw them at the droids above us.

It was what I was waiting for. I had mental picture of the enemy forces seared into my head thanks to the Force, which I had used to search for their exact positions.

Streams of Ionic energy clashed with blast-waves and machines started dying. Squads of B2's as well as tanks and couple of AA emplacement went out in a flash of searing fire or few twitching on the ground with their circuits fused.

This brief surprise was all it took for the leading elements of my two companies to scale up the cliffs, discard the grappling hooks and scatter in search for cover. Aria and I joined them, jumping meters in the air from the LAATs carrying us. Our lightsabers were already active when we landed on the rough ground. We wasted no time and charged the enemy lines.

Behind us my armored column had ceased fire and was advancing up the pass.

I used my free hand to levitate grenades from my harness and sent them flying at various juicy targets, while blocking the ineffective fire from the droids.

I dreaded the day when those things would get their programing straight and start acting as the advanced war machines I remembered from my past. Against them the assault I was leading would be magnitudes bloodier if successful at all.

To my right, my apprentice was following my example. Her excitement and joy was like a beacon for my senses.

I chuckled at her antics and threw a thermal detonator straight under the gun of a Sep tank, which was trying to acquire me as a target. The resulting explosion melted off most of the machine's armor around its turret and warped the cannon, making it useless.

I frowned, but didn't allow myself to stop in surprise. The damn weapon was faulty! It should have destroyed the tank, not simply crippling it. The damn thing still had its secondary weapons which were moving my way.

A missile slammed into the tank's weakened armor and blew it up.

The second wave were up here and engaging. They were exclusively carrying heavy weapons.

The third should be following us withing moments.

It was just in time, too. The CIS forces were finally straightening out their programming and were counterattacking. The droids which were acting as individuals when we surprised them were engaging us as a units, with B2s and tanks engaging us in well coordinated manner.

The local CIS commander had reestablished control. Joy.

I ducked under a cannon shot. The bolt of concentrated energy passed over my head, and I rolled over the rocky ground. A repeating blaster stitched a line of smoking craters where I was a second ago.

Aria drew the weapon's operator a B1 towards herself and sliced it in two without slowing down. Then she vaulted over a boulder and landed amidst a squad of Super Battle droids. Her blade danced around her armored body, leaving pieces of glowing metal in its wake.

My roll ended near an AA position. I threw my last thermal detonator into it, before making myself scarce.

A geyser of dirt and flames erupted behind me.

**=RK=**

Aria was grinning as she charged through the CIS lines. The Force sang in her ears, and the apprentice grabbed it and forced it to follow her directions.

She felt more powerful than ever, and more importantly, Aria felt in control. She was no longer just an ill taught pawn whose lot in life was to be used and discarded.

The Sith apprentice twisted the Force flowing through her veins and sent a bolt of lightning at a quartet of Super Battle droids. Their well polished armor shone under the onslaught, but did nothing to slow down the stream of energy that fried their internal components.

Four metal ssculptures fell to the ground, while Aria's attention was redirected to her next prey.

She ran at a speed which should have been impossible for a member of her species, avoiding the desperate fire from the secondaries of a CIS tank. Aria vaulted over the last ditch defensive fire of her target and landed on its side. Her glowing blade sliced through the weapons barrels, then she jumped down and rolled under the tank, which was suspended over the ground by its repulsors. She slammed her blade into the flat armor of the machine and started cutting a way through it.

That gave her few calm seconds to think.

The last couple of days were the best in her short life.

It was a radical shift from what she knew from her brief time with the people who had made her. For them, she was just a one use weapon, to be unleashed and forgotten about.

Her master was different.

Once he had finally found the time to give her, (and what was with all that boring waiting, anyway?!), he made her feel important. Unique. As if she actually mattered, and that was something she had trouble believing.

She was weapon with a single purpose. Or so she had been led to believe. For the ones who created her, she was just as disposable as the droids she was fighting now, or the clones were for the Republic. That had been something she had been able to sense even then, hours after being released from the cloning cylinder.

She had been alright with that. She had no reason for existing then. No purpose.

They gave her one and she had been grateful for that.

Now, Aria knew it for the lie it was. All of it.

Now, she was being trained to use the Force right. As a real Sith should, not like the Confed fools who "trained" her for her one way mission.

She smiled wickedly as her lightsaber finished cutting through the tank's armor. Aria threw away the slab of metal barring her way as well as the droid crew of the tank, after taking them apart. She took a long look inside, and then she used the Force to manipulate the machine's controls.

As Aria took aim and opened fire on an AA emplacement, a content smile appeared on her face.

Her master's teaching were helping become her own person, not just a disposable copy.

Slowly but surely, the Force was setting her free!f


	29. Chapter 14 Part 3

****AN: This part was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum: Boristus! Thank you for the great work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 14: Ryloth: Endgame**

**=RK=**

**Part 3**

**200 km north-east of Lessu, Ryloth**

Bo-Katan was flying over a rocky desert, riding a speeder bike, which she had "borrowed" from the GAR forces. She had been contracted by the Republic general to find out the location of the local resistance leader, Cham Syndulla, who had his hideout somewhere in the desert surrounding the capital city.

The bleak brown landscape around the Mandalorian woman was littered with the burned out hulks of CIS landing ships, shattered droids and the burned out frames of vehicles used by the Ryloth's security forces, which had made a futile effort to stop the Confed army.

This was the region where the man she was seeking operated.

Thanks to her short time as a mercenary for the CIS, Bo knew where to start the search for her quarry.

She hid her ride into the twisted ruin of a crashed transport and patiently waited.

That in turn gave her some time to think about her situation.

Bo-Katan was in a bind. She simply couldn't refute that man's arguments. Because of her leader's orders, the Death Watch was liable to be painted in the same light as the CIS – as a bunch of slavers and common murderers. And many within the organization's ranks would revel in receiving such reputation.

Was that what the Mandalorians were seen as by everyone outside their culture?

What she believed in was that her people were honorable warriors, the best the galaxy has ever seen. That was what they should strive for once their thin veneer of pacifism was lifted.

Kryze sat on the warm sand partly burying the wreck she was using as cover and frowned. Bo had the nagging feeling that what she wanted for her people and the aims of the Death Watch might not be the same...

Then there was her loyalty to Vizsla...

It was one of the rare times she didn't know what to do...

**=RK=**

**Republic Cruiser Requiem, Task Force "Retribution" flagship, High Orbit over Ryloth**

In one of the cavernous hangars of the Venator, Kenobi was attending a meeting, in which Veil's plan to resolve the situation on Ryloth was fleshed out.

"Who put that lunatic in charge?!" exclaimed Captain Trent Wombas, of the Escort Carrier Reprisal. He hated his ship's role in the madness that was being planned.

Solo, who, along with his Wookie first officer attended the meeting, shrugged at his colleague's antics.

"It may work." said the Corellian.

"Rwaar!" the Wookie's below of approval echoed around the hangar.

"It's certainly an interesting idea," mused Yularen. "Under normal circumstances, I would say that even if it works as planned, it would be too expensive to attempt..." the Admiral trailed off and looked at the deck plating, and the planet far below them.

"The ship should hold," Lieutenant Commander VCT-091 added his two credits.

"Should or will?" Yularen looked sharply at the Requiem's chief engineer.

"Those container ships are extraordinary tough for merchant vessels. However, they were not built in with determined attack by military weaponry in mind. It can survive a strike or two from proton cannon, especially when you consider that those craft are going on a one way mission," answered Vector. "If those shells don't strike something vital..." the engineer shrugged.

"What about passing through the theater shield over the Capital?" asked Kenobi.

The clone smirked.

"Usually it would be a no go. However if the shield configuration has not been changed, which is unlikely given the terrain at the site, it will work."

"It better." grumbled Obi-Wan.

The Jedi didn't fancy getting splattered over the city's shields, not to mention what would happen to the regiment of clones he would lead.

"It's done!" a too young voice shouted behind Kenobi.

He turned around and saw a young, grease covered boy no older than fourteen, exit from under a damaged bomber. Around the kid a pair of clones, wearing colors announcing them as engineers were busy removing a shredded engine.

"Good work, kid! Now give me that number six spanner." said one of the men wearing Jango Fett's face.

"Right away, Fixer!" exclaimed the kid, who had a cheerful grin on his grime covered face.

"Since when do we have children fixing our ships?" asked the Jedi.

"Since the General found himself an apprentice who happens to be a genius with everything mechanical." deadpanned Vector.

"Say, what?!" exclaimed Kenobi.

The Jedi shook his head in exasperation. The Chiss woman wasn't enough, was she? Veil appeared to be doing his best to push the Council buttons.

Obi-Wan knew that the Jedi Masters wouldn't be thrilled to learn that Delkatar had taken second apprentice. The fact that the woman who led the attack on the Temple was not only under Veil's protection, but his student was bad enough, but this?!

They would believe that Delkatar was corrupting the kid, despite the fact that Kenobi was sensing no darkness from the boy... What kriffing mess...

**=RK=**

**200 km from Lessu, Ryloth**

Bo-Katan's musings were interrupted when a platoon consisting of B1 and Super Battle droids marched past her hiding place. From the machines chatter it became clear that they were searching for a missing patrol. Undoubtedly one that had ran afoul of the resistance fighters.

She smirked. Splendid. Those tin-cans would lead her straight to her quarry.

Kryze let them pass and stalked after the droids.

**=RK=**

**Lorek Pass, Torangua Mountains, Ryloth**

The thin mountain route, which was sneaking through the canyon behind me, ended amongst desert dunes strewing from here to the Capital and beyond. Veers' surviving tanks were moving out to screen the advance of the walker column, which was still a kilometer behind us.

After we dealt with the second CIS ambush, I had the transports of Eagle flight deposit a company of troopers and me, at the exit of the pass. There we took defensive positions until my main forces were clear of the bottleneck.

To my pleasant surprise, there were no more attacks while my men were braving the mountain passes. Within hours I would have three mechanized regiments loose in the desert. I hoped that they would be enough to sweep clean the way to the Capital.

It was at that time, when my comm came to life with signal relayed from one of the ship in orbit.

"Veil, I've got his location." I heard Bo-Katan's pleasant voice. She continued speaking, giving me the coordinates of the resistance hideout as well as the best way to approach it in order to minimize the chance of detection.

"Splendid work. You earned yourself a bonus." I told her cheerfully.

I cut orders to my soldiers to head towards the capital city at moderate speed, while dispatching scouts for ambushes in the desert, before I went to retrieve Aria, who was resting at a temporally Command post near the pass end. It was time to visit the locals.

**=RK=**

**Resistance HQ, Location Classified, Ryloth**

A flight of LAAT/i transported a platoon of my 11th Legion and me five kilometers from the crashed CIS landing ship, which the resistance was using as a headquarters.

It was a small enough force not to alarm the locals too much, while strong enough to give us a good fighting chance if they turned out to be hostile. Or so I hoped.

Few minutes after we landed and the transports flew back to the safety of my advancing regiments, Bo-Katan melted out of the brown sands surrounding us.

"Took you long enough!" she grumbled. "What were you doing? Took the scenic route or something?"

I looked around us. Unless you consider endless sand dunes with a lot of burned out military equipment lying around a tourist attraction, we didn't do such a thing. In my opinion the fact that we were in a desert was more than enough to disqualify this region from my vacation list.

"That we did." I deadpanned. "Sand and scorching heat everywhere! We just couldn't miss seeing it all!"

She shook her head at me, but I could feel a tingle of amusement fighting with her irritation. Can't blame her. I would be in even a worse mood if I had to sulk around the desert for a day or so in a search for the bloody resistance.

"This way!" Bo-Katan waved us to follow her. "Try not to move like a bunch of toy soldiers on a parade!" she added.

It was my men turn to grumble. They didn't appreciate being bad mouthed by what they believed to be an ordinary merc.

"Children, play nice. We have a job to do." I said aloud.

Kryze glanced my way and muttered something too quiet for me to hear. Nothing flattering I bet.

It took us nearly two hours to sneak to the resistance hideout. It was slow but easy task, when I could sense their sentries from a long way off.

We were few about a hundred and fifty meters from the entrance to the hideout, which was through the busted landing bay doors of a CIS landing ship. I made a sign to my men to hold their position and waved to Bo-Katan to follow me.

I would have preferred to execute this exercise with at least couple of companies at hand and preferably few SF teams ready for action, but my transport units were tasked to capacity. All in the name of a deception I hoped would win me Ryloth with minimum casualties from my men.

I removed my helmet and walked towards the entrance. I could hear shouts of surprise and distress. The locals found out that their perimeter was breached without them noticing. The sentries we bypassed would have some pointed questions to answer, the unfortunate sods.

"Hi, there folks!" I waved at a pair of Twi'lek males who ran out of the wreck with blaster rifles pointed my way. "I'm here to see General Syndulla. Be nice chaps and go fetch him."

I said it all with nonchalant smile on my face. Bo-Katan, who was to my right, was starring at me. No doubt, she was wondering what the hell was I doing.

The men looked at me, then at each other and ran back in. I beamed at Kryze who was scowling at me under her helmet.

"I can't believe that worked!" she muttered. "Lucky bastard..."

Dominating the minds of weak willed people had always been handy for the Force Adepts who knew how to do it.

Few minutes, and couple of squad of sentries, who had come near my men taken into custody, later, a tired looking, orange skinned Twi'lek came out. He was accompanied by twenty odd men and women, who were carrying a diverse assortment of blasters.

They all looked worse for the wear. The group had a sense of exhaustation around them.

Syndulla looked at me with a stare I've seen before. On men and women who had seen too many horrors on the battlefield and were close to breaking.

I was well aware that all the resistance had managed to to is merely inconvenience the Seps, in their race to ship as many locals as possible to the slave markets controlled by the Hutts. The failure to do more than saving a few of his people, was taking its toll on the resistance fighters.

"You found us." stated Syndulla. "So the Republic finally deigns to notice our pleas?" he looked at the dunes around us, which were nested within deep shadows.

"General Syndulla." I said aloud. "I came here to make you an offer."

"Is that so? The mighty army of the Republic ridding to the rescue. Or are you another bunch of overlords who come to place us under the yoke?!" he glared at me. "Look around us! Thousands of my men lie buried on these plains! Do you know why, Republic?!"

I rolled my eyes. It wasn't the diplomatic thing to do, however I've never been particularly good when dealing with local resistance fighters. Especially those that were supposed to be on my side. I probably was biased, but in my experience, they usually were more trouble that they were worth. At least those on non-imperial worlds during the last war.

"I'm sure you'll enlighten us, General." I managed to say it with neutral tone.

Huh. I think that the use of the Dark Side was effecting me a bit. Was I getting arrogant, or perhaps I was just biased against most people of this day and age...

"When the Droids came, we were alone. Unarmed. We were going to surrender, but they came with tanks and tried to ground us down or place a slave collars on our necks. Where was the Republic when we needed it?"he glared at me. "Millions of my people were taken, and now you come?"

Yeah. He was right. During this war the Republic had failed the very reason it existed – providing security to its member worlds. When all was said and done, the economic benefits were always secondary. Or they were during my time. Then it at least the Republic worked, however badly.

Ironically, if it was not for the so called Sith Sidious, who arranged the creation of the GAR, it would be ripe for the taking. Hell, it was anyway. The army was already stretched to the breaking point. It will be months until Kamino could have enough clones ready so the line could be held with any certainty. Perhaps even longer until a the new recruits, which were enlisting by the freighter-load could be ready for battle.

Two things could stop the GAR's from collapsing in the next few months. Palpy's meddling with the CIS strategic planing, because of which the Confed armies had almost ran out of steam and will need to stop their major offensives for at least couple of months, and if everything went without further problems, Corellia's entrance in the war on our side.

All that would give me time to consolidate my power base and put few plans in motion. If I was able to wrap the mess on Ryloth soon, that is.

"You have a decision to make, General. You can let your grievances get the better of you and continue irritating the CIS while they enslave your people. At best. Or you can help me liberate them. The only reason more of your people are not shipped to the Hutts as we speak, is my fleet in orbit. The same fleet which paid a terrible price in blood and ships to kick the Separatists navy out of this star system!" I looked him in the eyes. "I have a two hundred thousand strong army on the ground. Those men are the best chance your people have. What will it be, General Syndulla?"

**=RK=**

**Lessu, Ryloth**

Wat Tambor glared at the holo-image of Count Dooku. He had requested reinforcements, which were to break through the Republic Navy in orbit and allow him to save his skin.

"Denied!" snapped the Sith Lord.

"We are trapped on the ground! The Republic have parked a pair of cruisers overhead! I can't leave Ryloth!" protested Tambor.

"You lost a full fleet! In what should have been an ambush for the Republic forces!" fumed Dooku. "Your stunt at Ryloth already cost us dearly! Minutes ago Corellia announced that they are joining the war! On the Republic side! After your strategic blunder, we no longer have the forces at hand to easily crush our enemies! Now instead of short victorious war, we are looking at one of attrition!" the Count's glare made Tambor shake in fear. "You will start bombing all settlements in range of our forces on Ryloth! The Republic's victory there must be a hollow one!"Dooku took a deep breath.

"At the moment there are no forces to spare for your misguided adventure, Tambor. I will not weaken another front to save your worthless hide."

The Sith Lord turned his head to the right, where a Tactical droid was holding a holoemitter in front of Tambor.

"Follow my orders." growled the one handed man, before cutting the connection.

Far away from Ryloth, Dooku pondered his situation.

He had his "hands" full. After his not brief enough visit to the Jedi Temple, he had to reestablish his power base within the Confederation.

The madness that Tambor had somehow hatched, would hound them for years to come. It was almost as bad as the fiasco on Coruscant.

He growled and strands of darkness whipped around him as Dark side fueled fury festered within his heart. Once he got his hand on the fools who had botched the Coruscant raid he would keep them screaming for a long time.

The only bright light in the end of the hyperspace tunnel was that thanks to the reinforcements the Republic was rushing to Ryloth, the CIS would be able to take control over few contested planets.

Back on Ryloth, Tambor stared at the Tactical Droid who refused to follow his orders. He looked at the heavens, where the Republic cruisers were waiting. The Emir thought about using the Lessu's population as bargaining chips to buy his freedom, but then remembered who was leading the enemy forces.

The cyborg felt like a trapped animal.


	30. Chapter 14 Part 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with comercial aim. I make no money from it.

AN: This part was betaed by kalvasflam on the SpaceBattles forums. Thanks!

Phase 14: Ryloth Endgame

Part 4

5 km from Lessu, Ryloth

I was riding in a command walker with General Syndulla and a group of clone officers, who were helping me "plan" the assault of the Capital. We were even patched to Coruscant, so Senator Taff and by extension the Chancellor could be aware of our intentions.

That had resulted in an amusing verbal sparing match between the resistance leader and the politician who was supposed to represent Ryloth. Of course, it was all a giant deception, just in case Palpy was feeding the local Separatist forces real time intel on my plans.

Only my men in orbit and I were aware of the scope of the trick I was trying to pull off.

For everyone with actual combat experience or a bit of military sense, attacking the Capitalwith three mechanized regiments and few hundred locals as auxiliary would look like anexpensive suicide attempt. By my most conservative estimates, there were at least a hundred thousand droids defending the city.

More than enough to destroy my few regiments if I attacked them head on.

According to the intelligence I had, there were supposed to be only a quarter of that number in Lessu, but I didn't trust those numbers. That city was the most important place on the planet as far as the CIS was concerned. At least while Tambor, who had the droid army deactivation codes was there and in one piece.

My plan should work even if that bastard bought the farm, but in such a case, the casualties my men were going to suffer would be astronomical.

"We need to seize the plasma bridge. It's the only way to pass through the city shields without a prolonged siege." said Syndulla.

He was looking at a tactical map representing the Capital. On it could be seen many angry red designation, each of which was showing known enemy positions. That didn't even include the anti-personnel turrets that lined the city walls. There were few hundred of those things.

Another problem was the proton cannons hidden in the city. They would cripple any ship overflying the city from anything lower than high orbit. Those weapons and the theater shield covering the capital made the CIS commanders within Lessu confident that they could hold for a long time. I planned to dissuade them from that notion.

"Let's hope that the Separatists believe that too." I muttered.

The resistance leader gave me a sidelong glance.

The display in which the data from the sensor monitoring the surrounding airspace started beeping. Everyone's heads turned that way.

"So it begins." I muttered.

=RK=

Escort Carrier Retaliation, 500 km from Lessu, Ryloth

On the bridge of the modified container ship, Jole Solo grinned like a maniac.

He was given command of the ship, after her previous skipper, a volunteer civilian had refused to execute what he saw as a suicide mission. The Corellian scoundrel jumped at the chance to take command of the carrier.

It was just too bad that he was about to wreck this one too.

In front of his craft, the last Escort Carrier in the Republic fleet over Ryloth was plunging through the atmosphere at a dangerous velocity. Its shields were glowing white in an attempt to disperse the heat generated by the reentry.

Soon enough that would be the least problem for that ship. Reprisal, was flying with only a pair of clones on her helm. They had volunteered for the task.

If those men were lucky, they might even make it to the special escape pod mounted next to the bridge.

Reprisal was flying as a shield for Retaliation, which carried two clone regiments led by General Kenobi.

The former container ships forced their way through the atmosphere fast enough to shred their shields into tatters. The twin craft's bows started glowing red from the molecules of air hitting their hull.

The Escort Craft roared through the heavens, on a course leading straight towards the capital. The droids monitoring for space borne threats noted the two descending ships, paused for few seconds when their databanks registered them as merchant vessels, before deciding that those things were a threat anyway.

Proton cannons raised from their hiding places, tracked their quickly approaching targets and opened fire.

Reprisal shook from near misses, while the enemy artillery zeroed in on the carrier. The craft, which was on its final flight disregarded the enemy fire and continued its doomed approach.

The following shots struck the bow of the ship, rending huge holes in its civilian grade hull.

The pilots put the engines in overdrive and sent the Escort Carrier straight at the city itself. They locked in the course on autopilotand ran toward the escape pod.

The clones reached the life boat and were just entering it when a proton shell struck the Reprisal in the exactly wrong place. The pod disappeared into a short lived storm of fire, which turned the two men into so much mincemeat.

Despite the loss of its pilots, the Escort Carrier continued on its path, tanking shot after shot. She rained behind, pieces of her fuselage, which were torn away by enemy fire, yet she continued doing her duty.

The ships course had been painstakingly calculated, so even if she was destroyed, her pieces would rain all over the shielded city, providing cover for her sister ship.

Two hundred kilometers over Lessu, Reprisal was hit one too many times and she blew up. Yet, most of her mass had too much momentum, and continued tumbling on the same vector.

Flaming pieces of the destroyed ship rained all over the shield protecting the capital. It was like a barrage of shooting stars, which intercepted the majority of the artillery fire aimed at the Retaliation.

The second carrier flew through the air in a shroud of flaming atmosphere. She appeared to veer off its headlong plunge at Lessu, before straightening her course under the deft hands of Jole.

"Hold on, girl!" chanted Solo.

Next to him, his friend shook his massive, furry head.

"Wraarw!" protested the Wookie, when Jole suddenly guided the refitted transport straight at the ground.

"No worries, buddy! I know what I'm doing!" answered the Corellian.

"Rawar!" grunted Traaw.

"What do you mean, that's what you're afraid of?!"

Retaliation struck the ground seven kilometers away from the city and skidded across the dunes. She left in her wake a deep gorge in both rock and sand. Her repulsors whined in protest, when Solo overloaded them in attempt to slow down the crash-landing ship.

"I know they aren't meant for this stuff! Trust me! They'll handle it!" shouted Jole.

The Wookie glared at him, but followed his instructions.

One after another those devices suffered critical overloads and either exploded or melted, but they did the job the Corellian forced them to do. The Escort Carrier, which was skidding across the ground slowed down enough to pass through the theater shield instead of smashing into it.

The forward section of the ship went over the deep chasm surrounding the capital, creating an artificial bridge over it. Retaliation's nose struck Lessu's wall hard enough to shatter a part of it, obliterating the nearby anti-personnel turrets.

=RK=

4 km from Lessu, Ryloth

I stared at the camera feed in awe. That crazy Corellian pulled it off!

"All units, this is General Veil. Execute Trinity! Now! I repeat..." I ordered, using one of the comm's which was tuned on so it can transmit to all of my forces on and above Ryloth. "Get us to the Retaliation ASAP!" I told our driver, before smiling crookedly to Syndulla.

"You are all insane!" he declared.

"You know the alternative, General Syndulla. Months long siege in which the Force only knows how many people will die. Now we have a bridgehead into the city and if we move fast enough, we'll be able to keep it open!" I nodded towards the holo-map showing my forces all over the planet.

There could be seen the signs of regiments attacking the ten biggest camps holding the local population captives.

That was a necessary sideshow. While the actions of that part of my forces was important, it was little more than diversion. A swarm of green dots rising from our primary LZ could be seen on the plot. All of them were heading towards the capital. Those were LAAT/t carrying another mechanized regiment, with the rest being transport variants chock full with heavy infantry.

We needed to not only keep our bridgehead open, but if possible strike deeply in the city. My orbital assets had noted the location of the enemy proton cannons. Once those were taken out, I had two Acclamators full with fresh troops, ready to deploy. If we could neutralize the theater shield, then those men could land directly in the city.

=RK=

Retaliation's landing site, Lessu, Ryloth

"By the Force! It worked!" exclaimed Kenobi.

The carrier had been shaking in such a way that all of them thought that she was about to fly apart thanks to Solo's insane piloting. But the Corellian came through for them. The capital's defensive shell was cracked. It was time for Obi-Wan to make up for his terrible decision during the initial phase of the landings.

"Blow up the charges! We are going in!" shouted Kenobi.

The clone sergeant sitting next to him just nodded and pressed a button on his left armguard. That was a scene repeating itself in each surviving cargo container on the Retaliation.

Shaped charges detonated, cutting through the thin sheets of metal which had protected the clones during the descent.

With their path blown open, two regiments of infantry surged out of the Escort Carrier, leaving behind nearly a battalion wounded or dead suffered from the few proton shells which hit their ride during its reentry.

Whole companies armed with heavy weaponry converged to the sides of the ship and opened fire on all threats in sight. The anti-personnel emplacements covering the wall answered with crimson beams of concentrated death and managed to scythe down nineteen clones before being silenced forever under a storm of heavy blaster fire a repeated missile strikes.

Kenobi was the first to run up to the nose of the ship and jump into the city. He landed on a rubble covered street with a smile on his face. Veil's regiments were few minutes behind and there was no way the droids could execute a strong enough attack to dislodge them from the foothold they had within Lessu.

Besides, the machines would have other things to worry about too.

Overhead, Bo-Katan, a mercenary Veil had somehow persuaded to switch sides, flew on her rocket-pack. She, and teams consisting of the best soldiers in the liberation force would head into the capital ahead of the main force. They would hunt down the proton cannons and try to neutralize the shield protecting the city.

A door opened to the left of the Jedi, disgorging a squad of B1s. The group of cannon fodder lasted for a couple of seconds, before the general shattered them against a nearby wall with a telekinetic push.

"Follow me!" he ordered to the first group of clones who rappelled into the city.

The battle for Lessu had just began.

=RK=

Bo-Katan flew over the city with a smile on her face. Ever since the proton cannons in Lessu opened fire, she and the Hunter teams received up to date information from one of the cruisers in orbit.

They knew where every one of the weapons that fired was.

She flew hundred meters above the ground, heading to her first target. She passed around the side of a tall skyscraper and saw her prey.

A pair of cannons were covering the sky over both directions of a long boulevard. Kryze headed to the ground and sent a heavy missile at one of the mobile weapon which was pointing her way.

The ponderous cannon tried to acquire her, but it wasn't designed to deal with such an agile target. An organic or better programmed droid might have fired anyway, in hope that it would take her out. But the robot controlling the artillery piece hesitated while waiting for targeting solution.

It would wait forever, because moments later the missile smashed through the light armor protecting the proton cannon just under its barrel. The warhead detonated within the self-propelled weapon and blew it up rather spectacularly.

Bo flew over few squads of B1s, which were carrying out sentry duty for the arty pieces and strafed them, shooting with her blaster pistols. Before the fragile robots could manage something better than a couple of stray shots, which never came close to endangering the Mandalorian woman, she was upon them.

Thanks to years of training and her armor's built in targeting system, her fire was deadly accurate.

Only a single lucky machine remained in her wake.

A pair of Super Battle droids, leading two squads of their light brethren were guarding the second proton cannon. There Kryze didn't bother using her blasters. Instead she sent four rockets from her wrist mounted launcher. Those dumb munitions flew straight where she aimed them and obliterated the droids in flashes of light and fire.

Before heading to her next target, Bo-Katan threw a thermal detonator at the remaining cannon. Her parting gift turned the weapon into another piece of scrap blocking the boulevard.

=RK=

Holding Camp Codename "Helos", Southern Hemisphere, Ryloth

Cody was examining through a binocular a large clearing in the jungle. It was a circle, five kilometers in diameter. Two hundred meters from the surrounding trees, there was a fence made of barbed wire. Towers on which were stuck search lights, various cheap sensors and repeating blasters were erected on the perimeter of the camp, on a three hundred meter intervals. Half their weapons were pointing in.

In one corner, the commander could see a makeshift space port on which a squadron of Vultures were standing in their walker configuration. The reason for that was the pair of transports which were stranded on the landing pads. Those craft were undoubtedly there to lift loads of enslaved locals. They were obviously unwilling to brave the gauntlet of the Republic Navy in orbit.

Cody, who was accompanied by the few combat ready survivors of Ghost Company, was in charge of liberating that particular camp. There were supposed to be at least fifty thousand Twi'lek cramped in it.

He prayed to whoever, or whatever was listening, that this operation would turn out better than his last. Not that it could get much worse.

The Commander cringed at that thought. He was leading a whole regiment of his Sky Corps, and there were tens of thousands of locals that could die if he kriffed up. It actually could go much worse.

He glanced left and right at his few surviving friends from Ghost. Cody had full command authority on this mission, as well as generous ROEs. Do anything you have to achieve the objective.

He could work with that.

The usually stoic clone grimaced. Until the landing of Ryloth he had believed that General Kenobi knew what he was doing. That was the reason he hadn't protested when the Jedi had ordered them in without heavy weapons.

That particular delusion lasted until they struck the clanker's outer lines. It was the first time, Cody truly felt that the Jedi were amateurs in the art of warfare. Very talented ones, where Kenobi and Skywalker were concerned, but amateurs nonetheless. An experienced officer would have known that attacking an entrenched position with light weaponry only was a suicide.

It was a miracle that Kenobi managed to lead them to "victory". Ghost had at least succeeded in achieving their objective. Skywalker's men were not so fortunate. General Veil had to call in an orbital strike on their position to salvage something of that debacle.

To make matters worse, Krayt Company, who went after their objective loaded for rancor, managed to fulfill their part of the overall mission with only light casualties.

It was a painful example, showing the difference between the Jedi Generals and Veil.

Cody only hoped that General Kenobi had learned his lesson and won't waste his brothers lives again.

"All units, this is General Veil. Execute Trinity! Now! I repeat..." General Veil's orders sounded over the Commander's comm.

Cody ended his musing and turned his head towards his XO.

"You heard the man, Gral. Fire for effect on all marked targets."

"Right away, sir!"

A barrage of missiles descended upon the camp. Guard towers were shattered, the few patrolling tanks were each blown to pieces scattered over few hundred meters, and special munitions blew lanes through confirmed and suspected minefields.

On the other side of the clearing, the spaceport was turned into firestorm after thirty missiles struck the Vultures, transports and fuel tanks.

Yet more explosions sounded when the CIS motor park, containing the rest of their armor was hit too.

In the same time, smoke grenades detonated, obscuring the clearing between the jungle and the fence. Moments later, Cody's leading platoons charged the enemy lines which were thrown into disarray.

Nearly seventy kilometers from the camp, LAATs of all types lit up their engines and rose from their camouflaged positions. They were bringing in CAS, the regiments armor elements as well as additional medics that would be sorely needed.


	31. Chapter 14 Part 5

****AN: This part was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum: ********G********atemaster********! Thank you for the great work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 14: Ryloth: Endgame**

**=RK=**

**Part 5**

**Lessu, Ryloth****  
**  
I jumped out of the command walker before it ground to a halt behind the crash landed Escort Carrier. That gave me a splendid view of the wall surrounding the city.

A section of it, just to the right of the Retaliation, exploded outwards, showering the chasm separating us from Lessu with fist sized chunks of metal. I cracked a small smile. The combat engineers were doing splendid work.

Soon enough, there would be a nice hole in the wall, more than big enough for my tanks.

However, first my armor needed a bridge in order to reach the city, and I wasn't crazy enough to try capturing the plasma one leading to the main gates.

Unless whoever was in charge of the CIS forces was a babbling fool, that approach would be a deathtrap. So I had something else planned.

I turned my attention to the converted container ship. It was carrying half of the improvised bridging equipment which my fleet had loaded on Coruscant.

It was quite simple, really.

The basic component were sheets of warship grade armor, on which my engineers had worked while we were in transit to Ryloth.

What those things were remade into was a modular bridge which could be deployed fast. Provided that you had the necessary heavy equipment to move the segments and a few engineers to anchor the ends of the bridge on the two sides of whatever you wanted to cross.

Or a powerful Force adept who could do the heavy lifting and possibly speed up the process...

"Give me covering fire if necessary and make sure that the engineers get their asses here ASAP." I ordered before closing my eyes and concentrating.

I lifted the top most container containing the necessary equipment and floated it to the edge of the chasm. I used the Force to rip open its doors and willed the bridge sections to move. They flew out, one after another and headed to the edge of the cliffs.

A squad of walkers carrying a platoon of Combat engineers and their toys strode past me and started disgorging their cargo.

The clones hurried towards the point where I wanted the bridge build and prepared to anchor it to the ground.

**=RK=**

Obi-Wan ducked under a shot from a CIS tank, which struck the side of a building twenty meters behind him. He deflected a burst from the secondary weaponry of the armored vehicle with saber. He sagged with relief when two AP missiles ended the threat before its main cannon could speak again.

"Send the next two platoons over the wall at our left flank!" Kenobi shouted to his aide who had taken cover behind the nearby wreck of a burning aircar.

"Right away, sir!"

The Jedi gave the clone a satisfied nod before glancing at his surroundings.

They had taken the defenders by surprise. That was the only explanation to the confused and uncoordinated resistance the Republic forces were facing.

Which was a very good thing. The CIS had about sixty thousand droids within the capital. At least, that was the reasonable estimate. Kenobi wouldn't be surprised if they had twice those numbers.

Nevertheless, at the moment that didn't particularly matter. The main droid forces were concentrated to cover the main doors leading into the city. Those troops were redeploying to shore up their right flank but were not even trying any spoiling counterattacks.

Apparently their commander was thinking that his other forces were more than enough to handle the GAR bridgehead or believed it to be a diversion.

Kenobi's biggest problem was a CIS armor battalion, whose lead elements were hitting his left flank. The Jedi had only AT infantry to throw against them but that should be sufficient at the moment. Even if the droids managed to overrun that flank, it wouldn't be before the walkers were inside the city.

He had received reports that the Combat engineers had started blowing up the wall and that Veil was aiding another group in constructing the bridge.

It remained to be seen whether Tambor could be captured alive, or if they would have to clean up the city the hard way.

**=RK=**

Kryze flew over a deserted street after dealing with another proton cannon, when she noticed movement on a nearby roof. She banked in that direction, activating the zoom function on her helmet.

A pair of commando droids were setting up shop on a building to her right. One of them was carrying a big ass rifle, almost as tall as it was.

A sniper and his spotter. How cute.

She raced their way and sent her last light missile at them.

The spotter noticed the incoming ordinance in time and jumped back, getting out of the kill radius of the weapon. The sniper had time to look her way before the missile struck the body of the weapon in the robot's hands.

The resulting explosion obscured the Mandalorian woman from the view of the spotter. She appeared from the cloud of smoke and dust like a swooping bird of prey and opened fire.

The second commando droid managed to send a single shot her way before she blasted it with her pistols. The droid managed to hit her, however the blaster bolt merely melted a part of the armor protecting her left shoulder, leaving Kryze unharmed.

She flew away, searching for a secure location.

Minute later, Bo-Katan landed on a deserted terrace and smashed through the glass door separating it and the nearby room. She darted inside the apartment building and swept the flat for enemies.

Once Kryze was sure that she was safe for few moments, she started reloading her weapons.

She had made it about two kilometers into the city, passing the outer ring of CIS forces. On her way, Bo had taken out three artillery positions and about a company of droids.

When she finished reloading everything, she checked her remaining ordinance. It was a good thing that she had started this insane operation with triple her usual munition load. The only downside was that her rocket-pack fuel was at sixty percent thanks to the heavy load she started with.

No matter. What she had left would do.

Bo-Katan had to scout the CIS command posts for Tambor and report his location to the GAR forces, and to capture him if practical.

She pressed a button on her left armguard and a map of Lessu appeared over her hand.

"Where are you..." she muttered while her eyes were scanning the locations of the command posts she knew about.

**=RK=**

**Republic Cruiser Requiem, High Orbit over Ryloth**

"Multiple launches detected!" reported one of the clones manning the CIC of the Venator. "We have CIS fighters rising all over the planet!"

"All units, this is Requiem. Initiate fire plan Red." another clone spoke calmly in the comm unit built in his station.

All over Ryloth, CR90s and Carracks slashed through the upper layers of the atmosphere to sent a barrage of laser or ion fire. After a few shots, the Republic light ships retreated back into space, where they were beyond the reach of the CIS proton cannons.  
Whole squadrons of droid fighters and bombers disappeared in firestorms caused by the near orbital strikes. Even shots that missed their targets and would be harmless in space, hit the ground creating explosions and shock-waves that obliterated all nearby small craft.

After the first pass, two thirds of the nearly thousand droid fighters had been turned in so much rubble. That would be followed by precision Ion cannon strikes and two squadrons of Torrents led by Ahsoka, which would hunt down the remaining enemy bombers.

Before the brief air raid was stopped cold, the CIS forces managed to bomb only a single village, which was uncomfortably close to a camouflaged CIS installation and one of the industrial sites in the southern hemisphere.

Minutes later, there would be a cruiser over all previously unknown Confederate bases. Blue and green lances would pierce the heavens, obliterate those facilities.

**=RK=**

**Holding Camp "Helos", Southern Hemisphere, Ryloth****  
**  
Cody led his command section to the outskirts of the camp once the perimeter was secure.

Before him, the leading elements of three battalions were storming the enemy positions.

The droids defending the camp never stood a chance. It appeared that all their plans were centered upon preventing the locals from escaping and dealing with the occasional harassing attack by the lightly armed resistance forces.

When hit by the missile launchers of a single battalion, they simply disintegrated as a coherent fighting force.

Instead of the coordinated resistance Cody had expected, his men were confronted by a squad here, half a platoon there, and single tanks often without any infantry support. Those enemy forces were quickly overwhelmed by the concentrated fire of the clones.

Within ten minutes of the first shot, there was not a single intact droid left within the camp.

It was the first time in his career that a plan went off without too big of a hitch. There would be precious few times when that would happen again.

Nevertheless, it wasn't an entirely one sided affair. He lost thirty men when one of his leading companies was hit in both flanks by a platoon strength Super Battle droid detachment and the only CIS tank with sufficient infantry support.

There were also a forty odd wounded when all was said and done.

However none of that reflected the situation of the locals. Many of the Twi'lek were sick and starving. Too many for his limited number of medics to help them all before it was too late.

When the dust settled days later, in would be revealed that more than fifteen thousand people had perished in that single camp. Only a hundred had been wounded or died as a consequence of the clones attack.

**=RK=**

**Lessu, Ryloth****  
**  
It took us fifteen minutes to have a seventy meters wide bridge over the chasm surrounding the capital. In that time the combat engineers withing the city had managed to demolish twenty meter wide area of the tough wall.

For the moment that should be good enough.

Already, ten tanks were through the breach and the rest of my leading armor battalion were moving in.

Meanwhile, the droids defending the main approach to the city had decided to move their metal butts and my right flank was under attack by a regiment of enemy infantry.

Their forward elements had ran headfirst into a hastily prepared killzone, which ran along an avenue leading to the center of the city.

While I was finishing moving the bridge segment I could hear how that attack was handled.

"Here they come!" declared a nameless clone.

"Wait for them." ordered the captain in charge.

"We are under fire." stated another of my men.

"Loki is hit. We need a medic over here."

"The clankers are coming like they are on a kriffing parade!" someone exclaimed.

"Can the chatter. Ten more seconds and blow the charges!" ordered the captain.

"Wilco, sir!"

Even from my position I could hear when the mines were detonated. It sounded like one long explosion which thanks to the echo, went on and on.

"Watch them burn!" one of my men shouted gleefully.

"Ready Ion grenades. I want their next charge broken before they can cross the street!"

Soon afterwards, the last pieces of the bridge were secured. To my left, the walkers were already crossing and heading in.

When the construction work was over, I headed to my command tank, which was parked nearby. I needed few minutes of rest in order to replenish some of the Force energies I expended doing the heavy lifting.

It wasn't glamorous, but without dedicated bridging equipment that could be used in this case I had to improvise.

Inside I found five of the clones who were a new addition to my command. Those folks were my staff, and their presence had made a lot of my work as a general somewhat manageable.

I looked at the various displays showing the progress of my troops.

My men had captured nearly five square kilometers. There was heavy fighting on the flanks, but strangely enough the path forward wasn't heavily contested.

It was tempting to sent an armor column thundering straight into the center of the city, but that would leave them vulnerable if one of the flanks collapsed.

"I want an armor company to reinforce the right flank. Send the rest of the seventh walker battalion to encircle the enemy battalion hitting our left flank."

Seventh battalion was the vanguard of my columns entering Lessu.

**=RK=**

Bo-Katan grinned like a cat who had just eaten the canary.

She was near the main CIS Command and Control center within Lessu, when she saw a group of droids exiting the building. They were followed by the unmistakable figure of Wat Tambor, who headed towards the APC in the center of a column of separatists vehicles.

There were four tanks in both ends with ten personnel carriers in between.

Kryze would bet a lot on two things. First that each of those machines was chock full with droids. And second: they weren't heading towards the fighting.

"Overlord Actual. This is Huntress. I have a visual on Black King. He is preparing to leave point Eagle. Requesting instructions. Over."

"Affirmative, Huntress. Wait one."

"This is Rogue Knight. Tail him. I'm heading your way with reinforcements."

Bo-Katan's smile became a hungry one. She loved stalking her prey.


	32. Chapter 14 Part 6

****AN: This part was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum: ********G********atemaster********! Thank you for the great work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 14: Ryloth: Endgame**

**=RK=**

**Part 6**

**Lessu, Ryloth****  
**  
I stared at the map of the city. The best route we could take to intercept the convoy passed through that glaring hole in the enemy lines, which appeared to lead straight into the center of Lessu.

The whole thing smelled of an obvious trap, however given the average tactical "competence" I've seen so far from both the CIS and the GAR, I wouldn't put it past the Seps to be just that incompetent. It wasn't like such a kriff up was particularly worse than their usual penchant for marching towards our lines in a nice square formations that doubled as artillery bait.

Something I was going to prove the moment I got my hands on some indirect fire arty. Or the standard beam type when I could use it against the droids on open ground.

Despite that, I couldn't just assume that whoever was in charge of the CIS here was an idiot. That would be a good way to get a lot of my men killed.

"This is Overlord Actual. Send in the hover tanks once seventh armor battalion enters the city. They are to split in company strength and commence reconnaissance in force," I ordered and turned my head towards one of my staff officers. "Pak, you have tactical command. I'm heading in with the recon elements. If we can get Tambor, we can end this mess now."

"Yes, sir!" he answers and started snapping orders to the tank crews.

Five minutes later I was entering Lessu. I was on top of one of the hover tanks, holding a handle wielded to its hull.

Before we reached Ryloth, I had all of those machines modified so they could transport a squad of infantry each. Thanks to the tank's shields, the troopers had a reasonable degree of protection while riding on top.

It was a useful stop gap measure that allowed me to quickly transport a strike force of infantry and armor while I waited for the R&amp;D boffins to get a dedicated IFV designed. Using the walkers, which were not only relatively slow with their 60 km per hour top speed, but were also my dedicated armor force, wasn't practical for transporting infantry in a lot of cases. Like right now, when those things were not only needed elsewhere, but were too slow for what I needed to get done.

Six companies of hover tanks spread out from the breach in the enemy defenses and headed deeper into the city.

I had given orders for my recon units to avoid the area around the main entrance where the majority of CIS forces were located. So most of the tanks headed either towards the "free" passage at the center of the enemy lines, or looped around the bulk of seventh battalion, which was moving to flank the enemy armor assaulting our left flank.

**=RK=**

Bo-Katan had been tracking the CIS column for nearly fifteen minutes. They had bypassed the majority of hangars she knew of and were steadily moving to the part of the city furthest from the GAR attack. Incidentally, that was the area of Lessu where the main space port was located. Complete with the largest concentration of CIS air assets in the region.

Kryze had thought it strange that the Seps hadn't used their air power against the breach in the city defenses until now. Then, suddenly, everything became obvious. Tambor was hoarding his remaining Vultures, believing that they would be able to screen his escape from the planet.

That was unlikely considering that majority of the Republic fleet in-system was parked over the capital. Though, considering what he was responsible for, Tambor would grasp at any chance to get away. She could imagine what would happen to him if Veil turned him over to the locals, and that was something she could see the general doing in order to make an example of the CIS leader.

From her position on the top of a tall building, she glanced at her map, then at the city strewn below her. Unless the CIS convoy took a right at the next intersection, they would have to pass through a chokepoint in order to reach the space port.

Bo checked the ordinance she carried. She still had the four blocks of explosives she had taken on a whim from one of the Republic armories.

She smirked at the CIS column which moved passed the next intersection without even slowing down.

Bo-Katan activated her rocketpack and flew towards the spaceport.

**=RK=**

Obi-Wan allowed himself a tiny smile. The flanking attack on the CIS armor assaulting the GAR left flank worked like a charm. That Separatists battalion was annihilated in full when Seventh Armor struck them from the left and rolled up their own flank.

As a direct consequence, the Republic forces were now able to spread in that direction, giving them options other than assaulting the teeth of the CIS defenses around the main gate or going straight into what was now confirmed to be a trap.

The recon units scouting the main, supposedly enemy free, approaches to the center of the city, had nearly ran into a particularly nasty ambush. Those tanks were puling back in an attempt to break contact with what appeared to be a regiment of enemy infantry supporting another CIS armor battalion.

Right now, those Confed forces were moving straight at the Republic positions.

Kenobi looked around. A second battalion of walkers was already in the city, but that might not be enough tho stop the advancing enemy battalion cold. Not with the regiments of droids concentrated at the GAR right flank.

Obi-Wan's eyes fell on the combat engineers who had demolished a section of the walls and now were busy preparing defensive positions at the center of the Republic positions.

He looked at the tall buildings flanking the main avenue through which the droids would need to pass if they decided to attack head on, as usual, and smiled.

That smile was out of place on a Jedi's face.

**=RK=**

Wat Tambor was staring glumly at the brown interior of one of the rare APC carriers the CIS possessed. Those machines were exclusively reserved for moving the Confederation leadership when air transport was not available for one reason or another.

He had considered taking an aircar to the spaceport, but quickly disregarded that idea. It would have been a foolish thing to do with that kriffing traitor Kryze wreaking havoc throughout the city.

No matter. The convoy should be more than enough to protect him from a single Mandalorian cutthroat. His bigger problem was getting off world.

Tambor had no illusions about what would happen to him if he was taken alive.

When he planned this enterprise it all looked so simple!

The Republic was loosing the war and it was only a matter of time before its military collapsed under the onslaught of countless droids!

However all that was before that new Republic general captured or killed two of the highest ranking Confederation leaders, placing the quick resolution of the war into question.

So he decided to hedge his bets and give the CIS military a boost. Until his brilliant diplomatic coup, the Hutts were either "neutral" or somewhat supportive to the Republic cause.

But he had ended all that nonsense! Now the overgrown worms were on their side and all it took was capturing a bunch of Twi'lek no one really cared about! It wasn't like those people were important!

Tambor's indignant musings were rudely interrupted. Twin explosion shook the CIS column, making the column ground to a halt. The pair of tanks leading the Confed forces were obliterated a split second before the trailing two met the same fiery fate.

To put the situation into perspective, the droids escorting Tambor had taken the shortest route to the spaceport, disregarding everything else. That led them straight through a narrow street, which was now blocked by the burning remains of the armored vehicles.

To add insult to injury, Bo-Katan flew over the street on which the convoy was now stranded, sending half of her remaining missiles at the APCs near the one carrying Tambor. Those weapons hit the thinner upper armor of the vehicles, wrecking the top mounted weaponry and in one case breaching the troop compartment.

Inside, the B2 droids were bathed by the condensed overpressure which scalded the inside of the armored vehicle. Moment later only two of the ten Super Battle droids were still combat effective.

**=RK=**

"This is insane!" Waxer screamed.

I had to agree, despite this being my damned to hell plan. Which in fact seemed to work. At least partially.

The remaining recon forces were not only pinpointing CIS positions, but were also drawing the attention of the enemy forces. That allowed us to slip through the positions which the droids were fortifying in an attempt to stave off the inevitable GAR assault into this sector of the city.

It looked like that after the destruction of that CIS armor battalion, there weren't any Separatists forces on our left flank that were big enough to try anything larger than a spoiling counter-attack. The main enemy forces appeared to be concentrated at the main gate and near the center, which left us a large corridor where we could spread out and fortify. As long as my men were able to hold the breach in the city wall that is.

That at least looked good. By now, there was more than an armor battalion reinforcing the regiment holding my forces right flank. Even better, moments ago Obi-Wan gave me a gleeful report. He used the Combat engineers to rig six buildings, which he blew up in such a way that they buried a battalion of enemy infantry as well as at least two tank companies. That had left the leading elements of a regimental strength counter-attack by the Separatists facing my hastily dug in forces unsupported.

Those droids were slaughtered in short order.

All that was well and good, but didn't particularly help my situation.

I was gripping a handhold for a dear life, while the tank carrying me was racing through the largely deserted streets at more than hundred kilometers per hour.

The operative word here was "largely".

There were various group of droids which were converging towards the breach. They loved sending potshots our way as we practically flew through their ranks.

Thanks to the shields, that was usually not a real threat.

Yet, there were exceptions.

On two occasions we met B1s carrying missile launchers. While the single hits they managed, were harmlessly absorbed by the shields of my tanks, the sheer force of the impacts and resulting explosions shook the hit tanks. Some of my men were unable to hold on and were thrown off the hovercraft.

Needless to say, at this speeds none of them survived hitting the ground.

That wasn't the worst.

We passed through an intersection towards which a column of enemy armor was advancing. Half of my tanks roared past the enemy unscratched, before the droids in charge got their shit together and opened fire. Accurate fire.

The trailing two tanks were struck multiple time. They, as well as the men they carried, were turned into so much confetti.

At least that was the last true obstacle we met before breaking into the enemy rear. After the close encounter with the enemy armor, we faced only one more enemy unit: a platoon of B1 and B2 droids marching straight in the middle of the street my tanks passed through.

Veers, who was in charge of the hover tank company, merely slowed down a bit so we wouldn't be thrown off and rammed them through. It wasn't as effective as it would have been if we had threaded vehicles, but it was good enough.

**=RK=**

I laid eyes on Bo-Katan's handiwork and smiled coldly. She had stopped the convoy carrying Tambor cold. I could clearly see the pair of burning CIS tanks which were part of its rearguard. She was still tracking Tambor and attacking his escort. He was trying to reach the spaceport, which was two kilometers from here, but was moving slower than a crippled bantha thanks to her constant harassment.

I had my men dismount and sent the light tanks towards the spaceport. I intended to run down my target long before he could reach his destination, but I wanted my light armor to cut him off just in case.

We made a short work of the enemy armored column, which stood no chance, stranded as it was. All it took was some thermal detonators, which were thrown by my men and I guided towards the enemy armored vehicles.

The powerful explosive devices wrecked the enemy column and we headed towards our target.

The reason I wasted a bit of time to destroy those Confed vehicles was simple. I didn't want that force at my back despite them being prevented from moving for the time being.

I found Tambor hidden behind the column in front of an ancient looking building. He was surrounded by seventy odd droids, who were shooting in the air in an attempt to take down Bo-Katan.

She was strafing them using her blaster pistols. It was obvious that she couldn't get close enough to use her guns effectively without getting shot down, but it was apparent that the CIS leader didn't know that, so he was hunched down behind his cover.

Splendid. It was time to end this battle.

**=RK=**

Tambor cringed when he saw the distinctive forms of Republic soldiers appearing from a side alley to his left. The enemy troopers wasted no time. Approximately half of them opened fire while the rest ran for cover.

All but the man who was obviously leading them did that.

"Oh, kriff it all..." whispered the leader of the Techno Union.

That man simply strode in the blaster fire of his droids. He had a red lightsaber in his right hand and used it to swat aside the shots aimed at him.

Then that man, who could only be General Veil, the accursed leader of the Republic forces which had destroyed Tambor's plans, raised his free hand.

Tambor's eyes would have fallen out of their sockets if they hadn't been replaced by cybernetic implants. A stream of purple lightning erupted from the man's palm and struck down nearly half of the droids.

More of the machines were cut down by blaster fire, a few of them by their own shots reflected back at them.

Another lightning attack all but destroyed the remaining droids, with the survivors lasting a handful of seconds longer.

Tambor shook with fear. He could feel unnatural dread gripping his heart with icy fingers.

The politician tried to steel himself. He still had few valuable bargain chips...

"Wat Tambor..." whispered the general's voice, which was distorted by the helmet he wore into an unnerving hiss.

"General Veil, perhaps we can reach a compromise?" he asked trying to remove the tell tale trembling from his voice.

"I have a better idea," said the general. "You will deactivate all the droids on Ryloth, and I won't give you to the locals. They seem to be a bit peeved with you. I wonder why..."

Despite the way his voice was distorted by the helmet, Tambor could hear the sarcasm dripping from Veil's words.

"That isn't enough! I want passage out of this system or you won't get the codes!" he said with a determination he didn't feel.

Veil simply shook his head and muttered, "They always choose the hard way. Well, it's better that way..."

The man strode towards him and Tambor moved backwards on instinct. Something deep inside him screamed that he should have accepted the general's terms.

Suddenly, Tambor found himself paralyzed. He felt something touching his... mind? Then the world exploded in a wave of crimson agony which engulfed his consciousness.

**=RK=**

Kenobi was on the right flank, helping the clones stave off the main CIS counter-attack when the droids froze in mid motion before shutting down. His shoulders sagged in relief. Veil had done it! The CIS on Ryloth was finished.

Nevertheless, the Jedi decided not to take any chances.

"I want the city swept for any enemy stragglers! And make sure that those clankers stay down for good! I don't want someone reactivating them and catching us off guard!" he ordered.

The latter was a very real possibility. After all, the droids were simply shut down, not destroyed. Something which will be taken care of soon.

**=RK=**

General Syndulla, who had been leading his fighters and two companies of clones through the city sewers towards the complex containing the shield generators protecting the city, allowed himself a small smile.

What was left of his people were now free... if the Republic kept its word. Yet it was too late for millions, perhaps more.

He looked up to the ceiling and the stars beyond it, ignoring the cheering of his fighters. Despite this victory, he had a sense of foreboding. After the atrocities that the damned Separatists committed here on Ryloth, as well as on Naboo and Coruscant, the war was far from over.

He could almost feel it.

**=RK=**

Bo-Katan landed near Veil and looked at him. He had Tambor pressed against the wall and had his right hand pressed to the CIS leader's forehead. They stayed that way for about five minutes despite her few attempt to get answers from the infuriating man,

The clones on the other hand had acted as that had been business as usual and simply took up defensive positions around them.

When Veil was finally finished, he released Tambor. The leader of the Techno Union activated his comm and started typing a long code before speaking with an empty voice.

"It is done. The droids are deactivated. This is the data you require."  
He continued to type for a minute before retrieving a data chip and handling it to the general.

"Splendid!" answered Veil. He turned towards his men and ordered: "Take him into custody. I want him on a shuttle to the Requiem ASAP and move him straight to the med bay where he should be treated for possible brain damage."

Then Delkatar activated his wrist mounted computer, plugged in the chip and started working ignoring everyone else.

"Is that it?" she snapped at him.

That man had the gall to ignore her!

"Yeah. The majority of enemy forces are inactive. There are probably a few Commando droids which will be pain in the ass until my men and the locals hunt them down, but there isn't much I can do about that anyway. Now, if you excuse me, I am a bit busy."

Bo-Katan gave him a dirty look.

"With what? You just said that the enemy has been dealt with!"

"Denying the enemy some liquid assets."

That usually meant money. Despite not being a mercenary, Bo was very interested in what Delkatar was doing.

**=RK=**

**Chancellor's Office, Undisclosed Location, Coruscant**

Palpatine's right eye twitched.

Days. Three kriffing days, and Veil had Ryloth more or less secured. Enough at least, that he could move most of his forces away from that world soon, and the general himself would be returning to Coruscant in a week or so.

It was a good thing that he had a lot of plans going on at the same time. At least the whole debacle on Ryloth wasn't a total loss. Now he had a reasonable idea of how dangerous Veil was as both a ground and a space commander. Now that he knew, Sidious could plan better for the future.

Besides, there were other bright spots. With the crushing defeat at space, the Confederation would have to stop its offensives within two to three weeks and start consolidating before another major push could be launched. So with a bit of tweaking, Palpatine could insure that he would get the long war he needed.

Ironically, he could use Veil until both sides were truly stalemated. Until such a time, which was still months away, Sidious should have decided if he would want that man as his new apprentice or if the good General would meet an unfortunate accident somewhere.

The Sith Lord grinned. Two weeks. Then he would have some free entertainment to look up to. The trial of Windu was fast approaching. He just hoped that the Jedi would mess it up and do his job in destroying most of their reputation themselves.

Meanwhile, he would be busy. After those idiots killed most of the Senate, and not even the right part, kriff them all, he had to deal with a mountain of paperwork.

On a more cheerful note, now it would be much easier to concentrate more power in his hand as he planed from the beginning.

**=RK=**

**Council Chambers, Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

Yoda was sitting in his chair and to anyone who would look at him, it appeared that he was meditating.

However that was not the case. He was pondering the future. Both of the Republic and the Jedi Order.

The present was changing in ways he could have never foreseen.

Now he had to deal with the fallout of his own mistakes. With Veil coming from the past, Yoda was now almost certain that he had shaped the Order in a wrong way. He had prepared his people to fight the wrong kind of war.

Against the influence of a Sith as Veil, they were in a bad position. The only ray of hope, where that man was concerned, was the fact that he apparently didn't hate the Jedi or desire their destruction as an ordinary Sith would.

"Enough, it is not." muttered the ancient being.

Veil's very existence was a threat to the Order's stability like no other. Arguably, Delkatar was as dangerous to the Jedi as the Sith who started the war. Just in a different way.

Yoda could almost appreciate the irony of this situation. Faced with a Sith who didn't want their destruction, the Jedi were about to shatter the Order themselves.

There were many of his people who were blinded by the Jedi Creed. They were seeing in absolutes... almost as a Sith would.

Granted, he had been trying to slowly push for reforms, targeted at making the Jedi more open minded. Yet, the truth was that he was far from successful. Or at least not as successful as he should be.

Changing the Order was a very slow process, which was met with a lot of opposition.

Despite what many outsiders might think, he was no dictator. As the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, Yoda was first amongst equals.

It had taken him decades to build a somewhat progressive council so that on a good day he could push for some small changes.

Now that looked scarcely enough. There was a rift forming amongst the Jedi. And soon it would all come to a head.

Windu's trial was approaching, and Yoda had no idea how that would go.

He had spoken with all the Jedi Masters and knew that they were evenly split right now. When Windu and Veil speak in front of the Council, everything will be decided.

Yoda knew that for a lot of Jedi it won't be about the evidence, or whether Windu had broken the Republic's laws. In fact, in the eyes of many of his people, Veil and the Jedi supporting him will be the ones being judged.

From the cradle, the Jedi had been taught that the Sith were the one true enemy. And now one of them was left to do whatever he wanted, or at least so it seemed.

Yoda shrunk in his chair. He felt trapped in a net of his own making.


	33. Interlude 4

****AN: This part was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum: ********Nightblade********! Thank you for the great work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

****Interlude 4****

**=RK=**

**Briefing Room, Assault Ship Leveler, High Orbit over Coruscant**

I entered the room and sealed it behind me. I looked around at a sea of the same faces looking straight. There was a whole company of clones standing at attention, waiting me to act.

I give them a sharp nod. They'll do.

I went to the small dais at the left side of the room and spoke: "Stand at ease men."

I met the eyes of the newly promoted Captain Trek. He returned my look and I could clearly see his unflinching determination.

I used the Force to sweep the room for any active or passive listening devices just in case. I found none, but just in case I surrounded us in a dampening field which would ensure our privacy.

"You've all volunteered for a special assignment. As of this moment, you are officially part of ninety first Reserve company. As far as anyone outside this room is concerned, your unit's only purpose is to provide replacements for casualties suffered by the forces under my command. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir!" they spoke as one.

"You will undertake a special training regiment, which amongst other things will prepare you to face Force Adepts and not only survive such an encounter, but win!" I stated.

During the last war I was part of, we, the Sith, trained ordinary people to become competent Jedi hunters amongst other things. These men in front of me were going to become a nucleus for such a force.

While right now I didn't plan to fight the Jedi, I wanted to have troops able to go against them and win without overwhelming numeral superiority. Just in case. Besides, having my own black ops outfit could be useful for a lot of things.

These men were special. I had not only removed the programing placed upon them by Sidious' cronies on Kamino, but had used the Force to subtly probe their minds. That's how I had chosen who to recruit. I could be sure that these men would be molded into weapons who would obey only me when their training was complete. And that was without screwing with their minds with the Force.

The downside of this method was that there was a tiny pool of future recruits, unless I wanted to mess with their heads to such an extent that they would be little more than slaves.

In few months I would have the first black operations unit under my exclusive control.

**=RK=**

**Lower levels, Coruscant **

Officially, I was inspecting some of the equipment that my forces were expected to use as a break from the monotone work needed to turn my army and fleet from a fiction written on a data pad into reality. Which was slow going, boring work as I knew it would be.

In reality, I had discarded my recognizable armor for a dark, hooded robe and was going to a meeting into Coruscant's not so pleasant underbelly. After dealing with the pirates who had captured Dooku, I finally had some credits to burn, and I could start to build my power base outside the GAR. I was well aware that in the future I would need to do some distasteful things outside the official channels.

I reached a small, nondescript, cantina. There were thousands just like it strewn all over Coruscant. I nodded at the bouncer, a bored looking Trandosian, who was standing under a non-functional holo-panel, which usually was used for advertisements.

"I'm here to see Vonx. Lorek sent me." I told him.

He studied me for a moment, sniffed in my direction before nodding.

"Back room. Don't make any trouble or I'll use your spine to clean up my teeth." he grunted and grinned at me.

He had a lot of teeth. Big one's too. I could easily believe that he can use someone's spine to clean them.

It wasn't my problem. I just shrugged and entered the cantina.

Inside, I was greeted by a semi-dark expanse. The deep shadows did a great job of hiding everyone's faces.

I briefly scanned the room and walked in once I felt that I wasn't in any more danger than the average visitor of this "fine" establishment. Then I immediately regretted not bringing my helmet.

The damn place stank worse than a week old battlefield, where no one bothered to retrieve the corpses.

Perhaps it was because I was human. There was only one of my species inside and all others were aliens, a few of whom from species I wasn't familiar with.

I ignored the looks that the patrons gave me and headed straight to the back room. There, I had the same conversation with a pair of guards, that I had with the bouncer. They scanned me for weapons, but I countered that by projecting a dampening field over my lightsaber. Not surprisingly it worked. That was a useful trick I had picked up from a Sith Assassin during my training on Korriban.

Thankfully, the back room had working ventilation and there the stench was mostly gone.

I found myself across a plain desk, behind which was sitting a Rodian. His huge eyes were fixed on a data pad.

In the four corners of the room were standing guards. A quartet of huge Trandosians armed with blaster carbines.

"Sergeant Lorek sent you. Or so you claim..." whispered the Rodian.

"I'm his new business partner." I answered nonchalantly. "I need to procure few ships and a lot of equipment. You came highly recommended."

Who would have thought that a crooked supply sergeant could be such a spring of useful information? It was too bad that when I had finished with him his brain was ready to start leaking from his ears...

"Is that so? Then where is that shifty human?"

"Dead." I deadpanned.

The guards stiffened. I could feel that they were ready to pounce on me, figuratively speaking.

"Is that so? It's such a loss." he said in a tone, which made obviously that in his opinion it was anything but. "Now, you just have to prove that you aren't some kind of law enforcement, and we can talk business."

I smirked and take hold of the Force. It swirled around me and I used it to grasp the necks of the four guard. A mental nudge in the correct directions and four almost simultaneous snaps could be heard.

The dead mercenaries grumbled to the dirty floor. I looked at the shocked Rodian. I guess that my little demonstration wasn't something that you see often, or at all, in this age.

He tried to press a panic button under his desk, and no doubt summon more guards, but I had his hands in a secure telekinetic grip.

"Vonx, I believe that this is a sufficient demonstration?" I asked, nodding to one of the cooling corpses.

He stared at me for a long moment before frantically nodding.

"Ah, yes. Obviously you are not with the security forces..." he stammered.

"Now, I believe that you'll uphold your reputation and get me what I need?" I asked cheerfully.

Sith negotiations one oh one. I was glad to see that it still worked.

"Yes... Sure!" he exclaimed.

"That's great, Vonx! Now, here is what I need. A bulk freighter, which has docks for smaller ships. At least three smaller transport ships, which can dock with said freighter. Minimum six assault shuttles, two hundred sets of medium armor. Same number of blaster rifles and pistols..."

By the time I had finished listing what I wanted to purchase, Vonx's eyes were wide for very different reason. I could feel the greed positively oozing from every pore of his green body. Nasty image that.

"You can pay, right? That will be three hundred. Minimum."

"Vonx..." I muttered, making sure that he could feel the disappointment in my voice.

He gulped and shuddered in fear. His greed had become secondary for the moment.

"I wanted to say that it will be no more than three hundred thousand in total..." he stammered.

This time he was telling me the truth.

"Splendid!"

We spent the next hour straightening up the details of our deal.

**=RK=**

**Republic Cruiser Requiem, High Orbit over Coruscant**

I was meeting with Trek in a secluded part of one of the Venator's hangars. That by itself was a normal sight. By now everyone knew that I made sure that I knew the men under my command.

"The coming ops on Naboo represents an opportunity for us." I said.

"Yes, sir. How many of us can be taken off the books?"

"At least a squad. It won't be hard to list that many as casualties. Perhaps more, if everything goes to hell. I want your men to scout the locations of the primary list. If they find one of them uninhabited, inform me and start preparing the facilities there."

"What about civilian personnel?" asked the Captain.

"It's unlikely that we'll be able to retrieve Force sensitive kids under the noses of the Jedi any time soon. However if the opportunity arises, we may have to retrieve such children and their families so they are not indoctrinated. Start screening appropriate candidates for a small new colony. We'll go from there."

"Yes, sir."


	34. Chapter 15 Part 1

****AN: This part was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum: ********kalvasflam********! Thank you for the great work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 15: Intrigues**

**=RK=**

**Part 1**

**Council Chambers, Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

Skywalker was looking through the windows at the evening traffic flying near the Temple. He had finished giving his report about the holding action he and Kenobi's forces had executed on Felucia. While that world was lost for the time being, the Separatists had committed their last operational reserves in order to take the planet.

At least for the time being, everyone expected that there would be a lull in the fighting, so far as attacks on new space systems were concerned. Both sides were constantly sending reinforcements and supplies to the various active theaters, but after the battle of Ryloth the Republic and CIS were exhausted.

"Two months. That's how long it would take for both our new warship construction and the Separatists' to be completed, and for the next production batch to begin. Until then, neither side could attack without committing their strategic reserves." Shaak Ti, who had returned to Coruscant hours ago, summarized the strategic situation.

"This will buy us some breathing space. Thanks to Corellia, we may be in position to go on a limited counter-offensive before the CIS are ready." said the hologram of general Valentra.

"We are drawing various plans for such action." added General Veil's holo-image.

"In the meantime, we can finish with this distasteful affair." muttered Shaak Ti.

Everyone present knew what she was talking about, Windu's trial was less than a week away.

Anakin shook his head. He could scarcely believe what the Vaapad master had tried to do. If it wasn't for the video of the event, he would be in denial.

Skywalker took a deep breath and winced. The rasping sound of the respirator mask was grating on his nerves. And he was supposed to wear the damn thing for eight more days!

"Away from the battlefield, some time you two should take." said Yoda.

The old Jedi Master looked at the two youngsters in the center of the room.

"As archive security, you can be, young padawan." he continued, nodding at Ahsoka, who didn't look thrilled by the announcement, but kept her tongue in check.

But giving cheek to the Grandmaster of the order wasn't a good idea. Especially for a padawan.

"Skywalker, rest you should."added Yoda.

Anakin didn't protest either. If he was lucky, he could "rest" with Padme. That is if she didn't kill him first. Skywalker had understated a bit the injuries he had received on Ryloth, and dreaded meeting her face to face for the first time since then...

**=RK=**

**Undisclosed Location, Coruscant**

Bane was cooling his heels in one of his safe houses on Coruscant ever since the debacle at the Senate. Since that incident, hewas on the Republic's most wanted list. It was only his skills and a bit of luck that allowed him to get away.

The comm terminal in his room came to life. A holographic image of a human male, hidden under a dark cloak appeared over the only desk in the room.

"Excuse the interruption, bounty hunter. I have need of your services."

Bane stiffened. This was the man who had almost gotten him killed. He turned from the window and sneered at the cloaked figure.

"Now, listen you..."

"A new, foolproof identity." stated the human.

Bane's mouth snapped shut. That was what he needed in order to continue operating with relative impunity. However at the moment he had no access to his usual contacts. They were not crazy enough to bring on themselves the heat that will came with him.

"And that will be just a free bonus for your services so far."

"What do you need?"

"I need a Jedi Holocron." stated the old man.

Bane stared at the Sith Lord. Was that human insane?!

"In order to get a Jedi Holocron, I need to break in the damn Jedi Temple. You know the place, I presume? The same Temple that was attacked few short weeks ago. The place will still be on high alert and it will be crawling with clone troopers!" he deadpanned, unable to keep the disbelief out of his voice.

He was a mercenary, not a crazy fanatic with suicidal tendencies!

"It's a kriffing suicide!"

"I will provide you with the means to get inside and out, as well as a way off world. I have some expendable agents that will be useful for the occasion. What do you want to do the job?"

Bane stared at the image of the Sith Lord. He could accept. Or rot in this kriffing room... When all was said and done it wasn't a hard decision. He was going insane in this glorified cell.

"I want triple my usual rate as well as a..."

**=RK=**

**General Veil's office, Republic High Command, Coruscant**

I finally finished my AAR for the whole mess on Ryloth. Even with the help of my staff it took about a week to get it all done.

Finally, that damned thing was finished.

I drained the remaining caff from my mug and checked the time. It was around nine twenty in the evening. I smiled. For once I would be able to get out at a reasonably early hour. That hasn't happened since the whole Blue Shadow fiasco.

I sent the electronic copy of my report to Valentra, saved two copies on different machines for myself and placed the pad on which I was working at a pile of similar devices in the "out" basket on my desk. Then I activated the security and a golden force field appeared over the stack of electronic devices.

An overworked lieutenant would gather them in the morning and upload the information in the secure archives in the building's basement.

I checked what was left of my paperwork and smiled. It wasn't something that my minions couldn't do in the morning. Besides I had let the lucky bastards to retire early tonight.

I grabbed my black cloak and headed out, when the door on my office chimed. I opened it a moment later and saw Shaak Ti in all her vibrant glory.

She smiled at me. Too cheerfully. Uh-oh.

I've been married, you know. I knew exactly what that type of smile on a woman's face meant. I was in deep trouble...

"Hi, Delkatar." she said sweetly.

Yup. Very deep trouble...

Where is an enemy surprise attack or something when you need it?!

"Hi!" I smiled at her.

I think it was a normal and not a nervous smile...

**=RK=**

**500 Republica, Coruscant****  
**  
"I know. The death toll on Ryloth rivals the total Blue Shadow casualties, and that doesn't even take into account the millions taken by the Hutts." said Amidala.

She was sitting on the couch in her living room, with a holo-comm placed on the table in front of her. The transparent images of Bail Organa and Mon Mothma were floating over it.

"The sheer devastation caused by the droid army on Ryloth means that world would be unable to sustain itself for the foreseeable future. "added Mothma.

Padme frowned.  
"We'll be sending what little humanitarian aid we can, but after the last crisis caused by the war, there is not much that Alderaan could provide at the moment." said Bail.

He looked tiredly at Amidala. It wasn't like her homeworld of Naboo could help anyone but itself right now. The consequences of the Blue Shadow on the planet's economy were catastrophic.

Padme had rarely felt so helpless as she did ever since Naboo was attacked. The following events made it even worse, if that was even possible.

For weeks, a cancerous thought had been running through her mind. What would have happened if she hadn't tried to stop the creation of the Republic army? Would everyone have been better prepared for the terrors of this war? What about Naboo? Even if anything she had done couldn't have prevented the bio-attack on Theed, that still left Ryloth and the nightmare that the damn slavers had unleashed on that world's inhabitants...

Padme sighed and looked at her friends.

"We should try to persuade what's left of the Senate to send more aid to Ryloth." she said in a tired voice.

"Yes, that will be for the best. If we can persuade them." muttered Bail.

The front door of Amidala's apartment chimed.

"So that's what we'll do. Let's meet tomorrow morning in the Senate and we'll start." she said and stood up, heading towards the door after a brief good bye.

She opened it and looked at Anakin. At first she was overjoyed, giving him a breathtaking smile.

Then Padme saw the way he was behaving. Her husband was a bit stiff and thanks to her vast political experience she could easily see that the smile he had under his mask was forced one. He was hiding something.

She grabbed his shirt and dragged him inside.

"Anakin Skywalker!" snapped Padme in a tone that brooked no argument.

A delicate finger pocked his tender ribs making him wince.

"Explain! Now!" poke, poke.

He grunted.

"Only a scratch, is it?!" she grumbled.

"Wait, Angel! I can explain!" he stammered...

"This better be good, mister..."

**=RK=**

I got lucky. For the moment at least. Shaak Ti was temporally mollified by a dinner in a nearby restaurant. At the moment a lot of her attention was dedicated on devouring of a juicy steak from a mammal native to Shili. Even better, I still have all vital body parts attached.

I had learned the hard way, that one of the best way to calm down and make up to a pissed off Togruta female. That is, beside the obvious groveling, and a lot of it (sincere too if said woman is a Jedi...), was getting to the nearest restaurant. Preferably one that provided meals native to Shili.

I think it was a legacy of the way her species evolved from predators, that you could calm down an irritated Togruta female by feeding her a rare steak or something similar. It definitely won't solve the problem, but it would buy you time to explain yourself.

That last part was vital, when the female you've pissed off was a lightsaber wielding woman, who knew how to use it...

Shaak Ti swallowed a bite of her steak and pointed her fork at me.

"I still haven't heard a good explanation."

Well, that was my problem. I didn't have one that was likely to satisfy her. Just logical ones, from the POV of a Sith that is. All of which would piss her off even more...

I took a sip from my Corellian ale and prepared to bite the bullet. Part of the truth would be best I think.

"You and Ahsoka are Jedi." I stated the obvious.

She gave me a deadpan look and silently beckoned me to continue.

"I assumed that you knew how to neutralize any tranquilizer or poison that the pirates had placed into the drinks. Obviously I was wrong."

Granted, if I didn't know better, that would have been a prudent assumption.

"Uh-huh. I'm still listening. You not only used us as bait, but made sure we didn't know your plan for dealing with the pirates. You lied to us."

Her dark eyes bored into mine with intensity that I found fascinating.

"No, I didn't." I confirmed with a small smile. "There is a fundamental difference in the way you Jedi operate and the way I handle things. I don't fear that my actions would 'turn' me to the Dark Side. It gives me much larger pool of tactical options. What the Jedi in general find unpalatable or unthinkable, well, it's just another day in the office for me."

"You weren't going to accept Ohnaka's deal anyway, were you?" she asked.

"No. While there was a tiny chance that he wouldn't try to back-stab us, it wasn't something that I was going to count on."

I took a bite of my own steak. It tasted terrific.

"That isn't the way a Jedi could afford to look at the world." she nodded after thinking for few moments. "If we had such a mindset, we would be perilously close to falling. And if we pulled the stunts you have so far or suggested..." she muttered.

I think she meant my requesting a permission to purge big parts of Naboo if necessary to stop the spread of the virus.

"Do you think that I've fallen to the Dark Side?" I asked her calmly.

Her eyes widened a bit and she stared at me. I could sense her probing me with the Force. For a moment I let the camouflage over my "alignment" slip so she could sense me as I was.

Here mouth opened making an "O" and she stared at me.

"That's not exactly what you expected, is it, Shaak Ti?" I asked her quietly.

**=RK=  
**

**Undisclosed Location, Coruscant**

Three men and two women were meeting in an old apartment building. They gathered around a holo-projector over which could be seen the plans of the Jedi Temple.

"You all know the plan." said their leader.

A chorus of "yes" sounded in the small room they were using as a headquarters.

"Let's recap it anyway. Tomorrow is our big day, and we can't afford any mistakes. That building will be swarming with Jedi and clones. We won't have a second shot at retrieving the object."

By that he meant that even if successful, the odds of any of them making it out of the Temple were minimal. Besides, after tomorrow, the security there would be about as possible. The Jedi wouldn't allow a third breach. After their play, the next one who wanted to waltz in the Temple would need a whole damn army to do it.

"Let's begin. We'll infiltrate in the morning with..."

**=RK=**

**500 Republica, Coruscant**

Anakin twisted on the couch, trying to find a more comfortable position. His tender chest didn't help in that venture.

In the end he had been able to calm Padme down, after coming clean about what had happened on Ryloth. He had told her everything. From the beginning of the space battle to the disastrous assault on the village. About the way he had kriffed up and got most of his men killed. Of how Veil was forced to call in an orbital strike on his position.

In the end Skywalker told his wife about his own injuries, which along with Delkatar's stunts were the two things that pissed her off the most. He was sure that Padme would have "words" with Veil, which the general won't enjoy, but that was a cold comfort.

She was still royally pissed off because he lied to her. As a consequences he was sleeping on the couch. Alone.

Anakin grumbled and twisted on his so called "bed". The damn thing was uncomfortable as hell.


	35. Chapter 15 Part 2

****AN: This part was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum: Gatemaster********! Thank you for the great work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 15: Intrigues**

**=RK=**

**Part 2**

**Galactic Delight Restaurant****, Coruscant**

It lasted only a precious few seconds. However it was more than enough to mesmerize her. Shaak Ti's wide eyes stared at the river of Force energies calmly bubbling in front of her.

She could see strands of Light and Dark fighting for supremacy, all over Veil's aura. Yet the end result was something akin to a balance. This wasn't something she expected to see from a man who used mostly the Dark side of the Force.

Veil smirked and she could feel him accessing the energy permeating his body. What followed left her speechless.

First she could sense how he grasped the Force itself as it was the hilt of a lightsaber. The tendrils of darkness around him became a storm of midnight black flames consuming all that was light.

The Jedi Master felt chilled to the core as she stared into an inferno made of freezing shadows.

Then it abruptly halted. Shaak ti could almost experience the way Veil subjugated the Dark side and made it leave him.

His aura cleared, once again becoming a battlefield between the two mirror images of the Force itself.

Nevertheless, that wasn't the end of the demonstration. Delkatar gave her a soft, almost serene smile and closed his eyes.

Suddenly a surge of warm light engulfed his whole being, pushing back the Darkness, which dissipated like moths of made of twisting shadows.

For a moment, Shaak Ti could swear that another Jedi Master was sitting at the same table instead of a Sith.

She bathed in the warm glow of the Light Side of the Force for the next few seconds, until it too drained from Delkatar, leaving him as he was in the beginning.

In the next moment Shaak Ti felt something snapping into place and she was facing only a man powerful in the Force, who no longer showed his alignment. She stared at Delkatar with an open mouth which was disinclined to obey her commands.

"That's not exactly what you expected, is it, Shaak Ti?" his quiet question snapped her out of her stupor.

She closed her mouth with an audible click and looked at Delkatar with fascination. A small smile of pure joy tugged the corners of her lips. Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Why do I have the feeling that I've been just served for dinner..." muttered Veil.

Shaak Ti couldn't help it and laughed.

"Perhaps later." she whispered showing him a toothy grin, which apparently was not reassuring judging by his reaction.

Shaak Ti took control of her emotions and pushed them down, becoming somber.

"You are aware that Windu's trial has the potential to become a very big problem for both the Jedi and the Republic, right?" she asked, abruptly changing the subject. She had to, because various un-Jedi like thoughts and instincts were stirring within her.

Veil frowned, with his posture suddenly becoming deadly serious.

"I am. At least in part. I have to admit that some actions of today's Jedi make no sense whatsoever."

"Have we changed so much from the Jedi of old?" Shaak Ti asked.

She just couldn't help herself.

"More than you can ever imagine..." muttered Delkatar. "You asked me what I think about Windu's stunt. He kriffed up by the numbers, and probably harmed the Jedi more than the Sith did in the past thousand years. If you don't clean up this mess in a satisfactory manner, you'll lose something you can't afford to lose." he said with conviction.

Shaak Ti frowned. She thought about the possible consequences of the trial. The Jedi master knew that the Council was divided, almost evenly. And despite what their decision would be, many Jedi would make their own minds up about who was right and wrong in this matter...

She spat a quiet curse in her native tongue, which made Delkatar smirk.

Ah. Right. He had been married to a Togruta and apparently had spent a lot of time on Shili.

"Our credibility." a soft whisper fell from her barely parted lips.

Delkatar nodded in response.

**=RK=**

**Next morning, Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

Yoda was discussing the direction of the war with Obi-Wan and Anakin when he felt a disturbance in the Force. The ancient being closed his eyes and concentrated. His insight into the possible future was clouded by dancing shadows, which acted almost as if alive.

He could feel... a possibility. Trouble was coming to the Temple, but at least this time he had a warning. Whether that would be enough to stop whatever was approaching was another question.

"Intruders there will be, in this Temple. Today." Yoda stated with conviction.

"That wouldn't be a smart thing to do." mussed Kenobi.

A week after the attacks, the Chancellor had managed to persuade the Jedi that the Temple needed additional protection. So now, they had a garrison consisting of a whole clone battalion, with a company on shift at all times.

That wasn't all either. The Temple was being refurbished to be more easily defended, despite the misgivings of some Jedi. Armored doors, laser turrets, even AA emplacements in the four towers surrounding the main building.

Yet, those defenses were still under construction, with a lot of people coming and going. That was something that could allow an intruder to sneak in, despite the enhanced security protocols.

"What would they want?" asked Anakin.

"They won't be after our starfighters." Kenobi thought aloud. "Perhaps yours." he smirked at his former padawan, who loved to thinker with and upgrade his interceptor.

"That is certainly something that couldn't be found in another place." chuckled Anakin. "What else?" he asked.

The two Jedi looked at each other.

"Information." stated Anakin.

"Jedi communication codes. After the attacks, the only other place those could be obtained is High Command, but Veil and Valentra made that place a deathtrap for any intruder." added Kenobi.

He didn't comment on the fact that those two were the main figures behind the Temple's ongoing security upgrade. That was a mixed bag. Some Jedi, especially amongst the younger ones, were supporting those measures, while a lot of the older and more experienced ones were against it or at least neutral.

"Those codes, as well as a lot of information about troop movements can be found in the eastern tower. I'm going there right away." said Anakin, before sprinting down the corridor.

"I'll check the perimeter defenses from the central security station." shouted Kenobi.

**=RK=**

**Holterra Clinic, Coruscant**

Later in the morning, after I passed through my office and found to my delight that there were currently no fires needing to be put out, I went to pick up Aria. She was in a clinic, owned by a group of doctors working for me. They were working on a cure for her condition.

Speaking of my students, I had left Jaybo on the Requiem, where he was trying to learn meditation, when he wasn't helping the engineers fix the battle damage to the ship.

The Venator was docked at one of the defense stations in high orbit over the capital, which could act as a small shipyard. It was more than enough to fix the cruiser, and I preferred to have it on hand. Once its destroyed weapons and armor were replaced, which would be soon, she would be combat ready despite missing its two command pylons. No big loss there, though a fella in the R&amp;D division found a use for them besides being convenient places to stuff additional sensors and comm equipment.

I found her in a small garden, which was built on the top of the clinic. She was pouting while reading from a data pad.

"Hi, Aria. I hope that the docs here treated you well."

"They always poke me with various devices or want blood." she pouted and looked at me with her mismatched eyes. She was trying to master the puppy dog look, but wasn't there quite yet. "Get me out of here, master. Please!"

I chuckled at her antics.

"I guess that today is your lucky day."

"Yay!" she jumped up and started bouncing around like a little girl.

Which in a sense she was.

"Where are we going? Something fun?"

"To the Jedi Temple. I believe that there is something useful for us to see, then we are going on lunch."

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "No more hospital food!"

"Let's go then." I turned around and headed for the door, with Aria bouncing after me. I could feel her excitement through our bond.

I had to do something about her and Jaybo. With the war, I didn't have the necessary time for even one, much less two apprentices. Hopefully, once she was cured and could accompany me on most missions, that could be fixed.

Jaybo, who had a lot more to learn about the Force was another matter. I wasn't going to put him into combat any time soon.

Once Aria and me were out of the clinic, we boarded the shuttle I had commandeered as my personal transport for the day. Today, I was going to use some of my privileges as a Republic general, and incidentally troll the Jedi. That however will be just unexpected side effect. I swear...

I boarded the shuttle, with Aria walking next to me, and saluted the troopers of Krayt company, who were acting as my bodyguards for today. Ever since the attacks on the Senate and High Command, all Republic generals were entitled a protection detail.

Needless to say, this morning was the first time I was going to take advantage of that. We were heading towards the Jedi Temple where I had three objectives. First, the official one: to inspect the defenses being build by the GAR corps of engineers and one of Coruscant's premiere security firms, which had some nice toys to offer.

The second one was more interesting. I had remembered something about the Jedi of my time and checked the data net if it was still the case. There was one particular holocron in the temple which was technically available to every Force Sensitive person in the galaxy. I believed that it my be useful to check it and show it to my apprentice.

And third, if possible, I wanted to check the Jedi archives about the fate of a few friends from the Empire era. I wasn't hopeful about that part, but who knew...

**=RK=**

**Jedi Temple, Coruscant****  
**  
'The Jedi are in for a rude awakening.' thought a woman disguised as representative of Keldon Security, the firm which was upgrading the Temple's defenses.

She had her Force signature suppressed by an amulet she wore, as was the case for her five compatriots.

The other woman in their group was walking next to her, wearing a similar outfit, while the three men had arrived early. They, as well as another agent, were dressed as tech specialists, who were upgrading the buildings perimeter sensors. That would give them an opening to exploit.

The women reached the main entrance of the Temple, where they presented their ID cards to the clones manning a checkpoint. They were scanned with a portable scanner, which found nothing out of place, the same with the cases of sensitive equipment that were trailing behind them on a hover sled.

**=RK=**

At the same time, a woman who had the ability to shape-shift, was making her way towards the Archives. Her mission was to hack the security network from one of the terminals there.

Unknown to her, that would be only possible thanks to the other two women, who would be upgrading the Temple's security network at the time, giving her an opening to exploit.

Unfortunately for the covert agents, none of them had any chance to pass as a Jedi Master and simply waltz in the vault where the holocrons were held, even though they could use the Force.

Retrieving the device was only the first step. After they got the holocron, the real prize must be captured – the data crystal that was used to read them. Even more irritating, then they would need a real Jedi to make the kriffing thing work. Persuading him or her to help was going to be a major pain in the ass.

After all, those things were usually set up to destroy themselves and the data if someone who didn't know precisely what he was doing tried to tamper with them.

The shape shifter entered the archives and had to suppress a wince. A young Togruta female, who was obviously bored out of her mind headed her way.

**=RK=**

We landed in one of the Jedi Temple's hangars, and I waited for my men to disembark. They gave me the all clear signal and I marched down the ramp, followed by Aria. She was looking around nervously. I couldn't blame her. The last time she was here, my apprentice was attacking the damn place.

We were met by a squad for 812th Infantry battalion, who, after checking our ID's, waved us through. Good for them. If they just let us through on my behalf, there would have been hell to pay.

It was time to start the inspection.


	36. Chapter 15 Part 3

****AN: This part was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum: Gatemaster!******** Thank you for the great work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 15: Intrigues**

**=RK=**

**Part 3**

**Great Hall, Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

I shouldn't be surprised. Not at all.

What was irritating me wasn't the dirty looks many Jedi were giving my apprentice or me. It was kind of expected. It wasn't a problem with the inspection either, which was a pleasant surprise. The GAR engineers working on the Temple were a competent bunch.

It was the damn alarm which started blaring that soured my mood. The building was being put on lock-down.

The clones who were on guard duty scrambled to seal up the exits and cover the various civilians that were in the building for one reason or another.

I turned to the lieutenant who was our guide and ordered: "Take us to the security control room at once."

The clone gave me a crisp salute and headed to the far end of the Great Hall, and we followed suit.

The damn Jedi just couldn't stay out of trouble!

**=RK=**

Bane finally reached his destination, and started slicing through the vault defenses. Behind him, the irritating tin-can provided by the Sith Lord's agent's was doing the same.

The mercenary was already starting to regret agreeing to this assignment. He was almost caught by a clone patrol before entering the ventilation shafts and then he was moments from being sliced into salad by a giant kriffing fan!

That didn't even take into an account the insane extraction plan, which apparently consisted of five idiots raising hell within the Temple so he could get away with the prize.

**=RK=**

My apprentice and me were admitted into the security center of the Jedi Temple, after another round of scans and checks. I left the troops outside and entered, accompanied only by Aria.

Inside we found the Clone commander, who was in charge of the troopers protecting the building, four of his men working on various consoles, and of course a group of Jedi. Those were Yoda, who had a deep frown on his face, Ayala Secura, who until recently was leading the GAR forces on Felucia. To my pleasant surprise, the third Jedi in the room was Shaak Ti, who have me a curt nod. My only disappointment was that she was wearing heavy robes, which hid her mouth watering figure.

"Deep in the Temple, the intruders are." declared Yoda.

I smirked at his words.

"I hope you don't mean us, Master Yoda." I said, unable to keep the amusement from my voice.

He glanced at me. The look he gave me was enough to summarize his feelings on that question. It practically screamed "Children, these days..."

Yoda closed his eyes for a moment and I could sense him drawing on he Force, which swirled around him, caressing the small being like a gentle wind.

"Possible it is, inside help help, they have." stated the Jedi Grandmaster. He went to a nearby console with a built in comm unit and spoke with deceptive calmness in his voice.

"Possible deception I sense. Disguised as a Jedi, the intruder may be. Find Madam Jocasta, you must."

"I take it that Ahsoka is in for some fun time." I muttered. Unless they found her another job to keep the little spitfire busy.

**=RK=**

**Archives, Jedi Temple, Coruscant****  
**  
"Bane, the two Jedi have turned around and making their way towards you." said the Archivist.

Ahsoka frowned. That was the old woman's voice, all right. However, the padawan couldn't really believe that the sweet old lady was the one helping the intruders. She tried to feel that person through the Force and frowned. Whoever was masquerading as madam Jocasta was someone Ahsoka had never met before.

She drew her lightsaber and used the Force to pull the stranger as well as the chair she was sitting on towards her. The doppelganger shouted in surprise as she flew backwards and landed in a heap at Ahsoka's feet.

The Padawan glared at the confused expression of the old woman, who in turn was starring at the green lightsaber blade pointing at her head.

"Who are you? What did you do with the Archivist?" growled Ahsoka.

The shape-shifter sneered: "The same thing I'm going to do to you!"

Ahsoka felt a warning coming through the Force and jumped back. She barely evaded the needles which were shot from the wrists of the Archivist's double.

The impostor wasted no time and jumped to her feet, grabbing the lightsaber hilt she had retrieved from the old woman. She had to deal with this girl fast and get away from the Temple while she still had a chance.

The mercenary charged at the padawan, holding the saber in a comfortable two handed grip. She hoped that her skills with a vibroblade would be up to the task.

For an instant, Ahsoka was surprised by the sheer ferocity of the onslaught. She hadn't expected that someone who wasn't a Force sensitive to be more than marginally proficient with a lightsaber.

The Togruta fell back, deflecting the blows raining on her with practiced ease. A powerful strike pushed her to a nearby table, and she twisted to her left, avoiding the next attack which sliced through the furniture.

Ahsoka glared at the impostor and went on the offensive.

In the next few seconds, the padawan found out, that despite somewhat skilled with a blade, her opponent didn't really know how to use a lightsaber. Tano locked their weapons together and used the Force to pick up a nearby chair, which she used to strike the impostor in the back.

The doppelganger was smashed against a computer console and slumped to the ground. The intruder's shape blurred, revealing her true form, that of a green alien female.

Ahsoka used the Force to slam her adversary to the ground, so she was on her back and her arms pointed away from the Jedi.

"I want answers!" hissed the padawan.

**=RK=**

**Security center, Jedi Temple, Coruscant****  
**  
"Master Skywalker, I caught the impostor. She says that the target is the holocron vault."

"That makes no sense!" I could hear Kenobi's exclamation over the comm. "The holocrons are protected. You need a genuine Jedi to retrieve the information."

Or a Sith who knew what he was doing, but I didn't say that aloud. If they thought that the holocrons could really be accessed only by Jedi, well, that was a delusion I was glad to let them keep.

"You can reach the communications tower from the vicinity of the vault if you cut through a few walls." said one of the clones, who was examining the Temple schematics.

"The vault is a decoy. We are going to the communications tower!" Anakin's distorted voice rumbled through the comm's speaker.

A moment later, we all could hear a subdued rumble.

"That was an explosion at the Vault!" informed us one of the clones.

"Is this a diversion?" wondered Master Secura.

"Perhaps. Cloak's the future, the Dark Side does..." murmured Yoda. "See the truth I can not."

"Sirs, we just lost the sensor grid over the comm tower!" shouted one of the clones.

"I'm detecting a jamming field there too!" added another.

Anakin and Obi-Wan, who were patched through to the Security Center, could hear that too.

"The Vault is a diversion! We are heading towards the tower."

"Seal that section of the Temple at once!" ordered Shaak Ti. "No one leaves it without being cleared by a Jedi Master first!"

I heard a clicking sound from the right, where the panel covering the air vent fell into the room. A short droid looked at us.

"Hey, guys!" it waved at us.

I could swear that this machine was acting nervous.

The Force screamed a warning, loud enough to cause a headache.

I acted without thinking, and grabbed Aria's arm, pulling her behind me. In the same time I was wrenching as much Force power as I could into my grasp, and desperately molded it into a shield in front of us.

The Jedi's were scrambling too. Shaak Ti, who had the bulk of a massive holoprojector between her and the small droid grabbed the surprised commander, and dragged him to the ground.

Yoda and Master Secura, who were next to the robot sent telekinetic waves at it. I could see a shield flaring to life around it, absorbing most of the power which struck it.

Nevertheless, the droid was pushed back. I could hear it impacting the wall of the air-duck.

Then it exploded, showering Yoda and Ayala with a stream of liquid fire. The geometry of the air-shaft worked against the Jedi, channeling a significant part of the blast-wave straight at them.

My hastily erected shield was buffered by the dissipating blast wave, but it held easily.

I could sense that the two of them were alive. Through the smoke, I could barely make out a shimmer where the two Jedi Masters stood. I waved my hand, sending a telekinetic wave of my own, which dispersed a lot of the smoke, revealing that Yoda had erected a shield to protect them.

My estimations of the little fellas abilities were raised up even further.

"This is another diversion." I stated, meaning the attempt to bomb us. I could feel clones dying in the Temple.

**=RK=**

**Holocron Vault, Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

Bane could hear a pair of Jedi running by near his hiding place. He smiled when they passed him without taking any note. So that medallion he was carrying actually worked. How interesting. The possibilities...

But this was not the time for scheming. He had work to do.

The mercenary moved to the half blown Vault door and squeezed himself through the hole. Once inside he looked around. Three of the walls, as well as a vast column, which was taking most of the space in the room, were covered top to bottom with small niches. Big enough for cubes little bigger than a grown man's fist.

He walked to the column and retrieved three of the objects at random. Bane knew that his client needed only one, but he wanted to have few spares. Just in case.

Now, it was time to see if the extraction plan would work...

**=RK=**

**Communications Tower, Jedi Temple, Coruscant****  
**  
When Kenobi and Skywalker reached their destination, they found pandemonium waiting for them. There were three squads of clones cut to pieces with lightsabers as well as the bodies of two Jedi Knights and their padawans.  
The armored doors leading to the comm center were a twisted ruin. That caught Anakin's eye.

"Obi-Wan, those doors were blown from the inside!" exclaimed the younger Jedi.

"So it appears." agreed Kenobi.

They carefully entered the comm center. Their eyes were scanning all around for traps, and the Jedi searching for threats through the Force.

Inside they found only dead equipment and the bodies of the men and women who were supposed to operate it.

What got their attention was the ragged hole in the ceiling. It was painfully obvious how the intruders had gained entrance to the comm center.

"This section of the temple is being sealed off. They won't get away with it!" hissed Skywalker.

Obi-Wan looked at the mangled bodies lying around. Most of them had died in the explosion which had caved in the ceiling, but a few were finished with lightsaber strikes.

"I agree." whispered the Jedi Master.

**=RK=**

**Security Center, Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

"Commander, I want this whole building sealed off. No one leaves the Temple. Is that understood?" I ordered the clone officer.

"Yes, sir!" he answered and started snapping orders of his own.

"This is an internal Jedi matter." protested Master Secura, who had escaped the explosion intact.

"We can argue about it when the intruders are caught!" she was cut off by Shaak Ti. "We have bigger problems, so I don't want any bickering about who is in charge!" she glared both at her fellow Jedi Master and myself.

"There will be no problems from my side, Master Shaak Ti." I answered formally.

"Stopped, the intruders, must be." declared Yoda. "Deception within deception, I sense. Careful, we must be."

"Sir, we just lost contact with one of the detachments escorting a group of civilian contractors." informed one of the clones.

**=RK=**

The two female infiltrators nodded at each other. They had acted a bit sooner than expected, but that was only because a golden opportunity had fallen in their hands. A pair of Jedi had ordered their padawans to help the clones escorting their group of civilians. So, a few minutes later, when they were reasonably sure that there were no Jedi in their immediate vicinity, the covert operatives pounced.

They used the Force to surprise the wet-behind-the-ears padawans, summoning their blades and slamming the unfortunate youngsters in the nearby wall. Then, they ignited the weapons and pounced on the squad of clones escorting them.

Before the padawans could recover, the troopers were dead and the assassins cut them down as well.

The stunned civilians were next to fall.

The pair of assassins then separated, running towards their assigned targets.


	37. Chapter 16 Part 1

****AN: This was betaed by ****Prole and PsykoSama ****on the Space Battles forums! Thank you for the splendid work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 16: The Future of the Order**

**=RK=**

**Part 1**

**Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

"Sir, Jammers are going up all around the Temple. We just lost sensor coverage over most of the building." one of the clones reported calmly, showing no sign that the explosion had affected him in the least.

"I can't sense the intruders with the Force," stated Master Secura.

"There are a lot of techniques and trinkets that can aid someone evade the foresight of a Force Adept," I shrugged.

I wondered what had happened with my stash of Force related artifacts in the last few millennia. They were probably plundered by now.

"As Master Secura observed, its your temple, Master Yoda. What do you need done?" I asked Yoda. "The Republic Army is ready and willing to assist the Jedi in their hour of need." I didn't add aloud the obvious "again".

"Track down the intruders, we must. Their true purpose we know not." grumbled Yoda.

By his expression, I could gather that he wasn't relishing almost being blown up to kingdom come in his own Temple. Then, there was the fact that a smug, smirking Sith Lord was standing in front of him, offering to help them. Again. Yeah. That had to grate.

I could hardly conceal my glee. Who could have thought that being evil could be so much fun?

Yoda's ears twitched with exasperation.

"Secured the younglings and the archives must be. The Communications Tower, handled by Kenobi and Skywalker will be."

"I'm going to the archives. I don't think that any of you would tolerate me being anywhere near your Younglings."

They didn't disagree with my assessment of the situation.

"Escort the General, you will, Master Ti," declared Yoda, disregarding the glares headed my way. Or perhaps not. I could almost feel a tingle of amusement in his aura.

I turned to my apprentice. "Aria, stay here and make sure that the security center remains more or less intact. Besides, I won't risk some overeager Jedi mistaking you as one of the intruders. That's a complication neither of us want."

This time the Jedi agreed with me.

"This way, Veil." Shaak Ti darted towards the door, without sparing me a second glance.

I dashed after her. I reached the Jedi Master when she was next to the exit. I was just in time to have a front row view of the armored door sliding to the side and a lot of heavily armed clones trying to rush in. Trying was the operative word.

The door was barely opened, when my security detail rushed through, almost colliding with Shaak Ti. Only her deft reflexes allowed her to slide to the right, avoiding Waxer, who was leading one of the squads charged with keeping me in one piece.

"Watch out!" warned Waxer, and moved to his right, opening space for the rest of the men.

If the damn building wasn't under attack, (and the Jedi who was almost trampled wasn't Shaak Ti), it would have been an amusing accident.

"Sergeant Waxer, your squad is with me," I ordered. "The rest of you, protect the security center."

"Right away, Sir!" answered me the freshly promoted NCO.

Waxer was one of the many clones who found themselves bumped up a rank after the AARs from the Ryloth debacle got completed. There were a lot of free slots that needed filling when the dust settled. And that was a victory for what it was worth. A decent one even, considering that we were ordered to go straight into a trap.

I could detect a tiny hint of disapproval in his voice. Ah, yeah. He wasn't relishing the thought that the general he was supposed to protect was about to get himself in another mess. It was a good thing that I had chosen my security detail with the idea that they would be acting as a back up instead as a bunch of glorified bodyguards.

**=RK=**

**GAR Detention Center SIGMA**

**Classified Location**

**Coruscant**

A LAAT transport flanked by two gunships descended through the busy Coruscanti traffic. Various aircars and bulk transports were flying all around them, as the three craft formation made its way to their destination.

They headed to a nondescript building, which as far as anyone knew, contained a minor R&amp;D lab working for the Republic. After the attacks on Coruscant, no one was surprised that the army was providing security for the site. However, it was anything but. The place was home of one of the GAR's most secret detention centers. From outside it looked like just another building associated with the Army. Nothing special. It was simply another one of the hundreds, if not thousands "ordinary" GAR facilities on Coruscant.

"Sigma Station, Avatar Zero-Three-One requests permission to land. Stand by for identification code."

"Roger, Avatar flight. Send the identification code."

"Sending ident..."

"Code received... and its clear. Avatar flight you have permission to land. Head to pad two."

"Wilco, Sigma Station."

Thirty seconds later, the three LAATs landed on the designated platform. The only door leading deeper opened, revealing two squads of heavily armed clones. The troopers moved towards the transport calmly and professionally. They did a brief scan while taking a position around it.

**=RK=**

**Communications Tower**

**Jedi Temple**

**Coruscant**

A man wearing a work clothes sneaked through the top levels of one of the Jedi Temple's towers. His mission was complete and he only needed to get away clean. It was both easier and more difficult than one might expect. The Temple's sensor grid was either disabled and the Jedi themselves couldn't sense him.

Yet, he was far from safe. There were clones converging on his position, and soon reinforcements would arrive at the building, sealing it.

He was running out of time.

He was running out of luck.

'Make that he was all out,' he observed to himself as five clones turned the corner. They were carefully sweeping the corridor, their weapons at the ready.

Had he been less professional, he would have cursed. Instead he acted, would have hesitated. Instead he acted.

Before the clones could react, he was already in motion. He blasted them off their feet with the force, and was in their midst before they could even cry out in surprise

He landed blade down, impaling their leader, before pulling a second soldier to him. The clone's armor provided no resistance to his crimson energy blade, and landed behind him, neatly divided in half.

The other clones managed to orient themselves and opened fire. Two of their number died to their own blaster bolts, while the third found himself thrown into the wall and impaled by a fiery saber.

The last thing he saw was the nondescript face of his killer, as he pulled his weapon from his torso, his expression as dispassionate as any Jedi.

The man pretending to be a common worker, deactivated his weapon and ran. A minute later he passed through an air vent and crawled to the exterior of the building. One of the LAAT gunships patrolling around the Temple passed near him and he jumped inside through an open side door.

There, he donned a suit of clone armor, making him appear just as one more of the countless duplicates of Jango Fett.

**=RK=**

**Near the Archives**

**Jedi Temple**

**Coruscant**

We met a human woman, dressed as an employee of the security company helping upgrade the Temple's defenses.

"What an honor," she chuckled after studying us for few seconds.

The fact that she was out and about to begin with was remarkable. In a situation like this, it was a warning sign, one and enough to detain her with lethal force... However, that was almost an afterthought. She got our undivided attention, for a different reason. We couldn't sense her in the Force.

She gave us a demure smile and charged, activating a blue lightsaber. I drew my own weapon and sent a telekinetic wave at her, which she canceled with one of her own, with no apparent effort at all. Then she counterattacked, blasting us with a solid wall of Force energy.

I managed to remain on my feet by shoveling a wedge of telekinetic energy in front of me. Shaak Ti did almost as well. I think that facing something who wasn't there in the Force had surprised her a lot and kept her off balance. She stumbled few paces back, but remained upright.

I had to break Shaak Ti of that habit. Being surprised by someone or something "blank" in the Force was a good way to get yourself killed. There were various artifacts and Force disciplines which could create that effect.

For me, it wasn't anything I hadn't faced as an apprentice on Korriban, and that's before you take the various Sith Assassins into account.

There was no more time for thinking. The woman, whose most distinctive feature was an utterly ordinary, forgettable face, was upon me. That in itself was ringing alarm bells in the depths of my mind, but I was too busy fighting to pay enough attention to whatever my subcouncience was trying to tell me.

She was an unpleasant surprise. This nobody, turned out to be one of the most dangerous opponents I faced ever since coming to this time. She was fast. Strong. Unpredictable. And a damn fine blade-master.

Our blades clashed in a screech of released energies. Moment later, Shaak Ti was at my side, yet we couldn't immediately overwhelm our adversary. She ducked and weaved around our blades, parrying and riposting.

"Who are you?" I asked.

Her smile grew wider.

**=RK=**

**Communication Tower, Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

Anakin and Obi-Wan followed a trail of death. While they couldn't feel the intruders responsible for the massacre at the comm center, they could sense the death of a Jedi. The Force signature that winked out felt familiar, but neither of them could place a name to it.

Despite what someone might expect, neither of them knew all ten thousand of their brothers and sisters.

It wasn't too far away. They rushed that way, only to find a Jedi Knight and squad of clones, who were cut to pieces.

They could hear shots and the distinctive sounds of blaster bolts being deflected by lightsaber, coming from nearby. The two friends wasted no time and dashed that way.

Less than a minute later, they reached an intersection. There they found another group of gutted clones. A human girl laid sprawled on the ground. Her unseeing eyes looked accusingly at Anakin.

He frowned, noticing her padawan braid. He knew her face, but the name escaped him. Helin? Helen? Something like that. And now she was dead, cut down within the Temple, where she should have been safe.

There was a charred hole where her heart used to be, a testament of how much both the Jedi and the GAR had failed that day.

Behind the death, the two Jedi could see one of their own facing a pair of men in worker's coveralls.

Kenobi recognized the man facing the intruders. He was Kolren Plox, one of the better healers in the Temple. However, the medic had never been particularly good with the blade, preferring to dedicate his time to studying medicine.

Anakin and Obi-Wan activated their lightsabers and charged at the enemies. It took them exactly three seconds to reach the intruders.

More than enough time for the infiltrators to deal with Plox. One battered aside Kolren's azure lightsaber, leaving the man open for a slash. A crimson blade cut through his chest, leaving him to fall back to the ground without uttering a sound.

A moment before Obi-Wan and Anakin were upon them, the duo of assassins whirled around and faced them. Blue and crimson blades clashed in a deadly dance.

**=RK=**

**Lower Levels**

**Jedi Temple**

**Coruscant**

While the Jedi and their clone lapdogs were loosing their heads trying to contain multiple threats, a single figure stalked through the corridors of the Temple. She was cloaked thanks to a stealth field and a liberal use of her Force powers.

Deception, within deception, within deception... Rinse and repeat. That was her master's modus operandi.

Everything that was happening on that day was a sleight of hand. Strictly speaking, they didn't need to steal a Jedi Holocron. Not from the Temple anyway. Her true master had access to few of those toys. Only a Jedi who would know how to bypass the encryption on the crystal containing the names and location of the Force sensitive children across the galaxy was really needed. However, that wasn't her concern.

She had an objective to achieve, and in the great scheme of things, the games played by Sidious and the Jedi were irrelevant.

Down she went, level after level. Each one was less traveled than the last. Soon enough, she was stalking through halls which haven't been visited in years, perhaps decades. The only ones which paid any attention to these places were few old cleaning and maintenance droids.

The infiltrator continued to decent. She was closing to her objective. She could almost feel it.

**=RK=**

**Kelins, Outer Rim**

Meanwhile, thousands of light years away, Bolla Ropal was oblivious to the four figures stalking him.

It wasn't surprising. When all was said and done, the Jedi and most other Force Adepts through history, were reliant to their extraordinary perception and senses. Too reliant to them.

An experienced clone trooper or mercenary might have noticed the stalkers. Not that would have done them much good.

The four hunters stalking their prey, passed through the crowds on the busy streets of this relatively new colony world as a bunch of ghosts. No one looked twice at them.

Nearly an hour later, Ropal reached his destination. It was a small home on the outskirts of the town. He was there to pick up a particularly powerful Twi'lek boy. The kid was going to make a great addition to the Order, the Jedi Master was sure of it.

Bolla was few hundred meters from the house when he was able to clearly feel the child's Force signature. It was notable, because he was not even trying.

The Rodian took few more steps towards the house and halted. He sensed something, though it wasn't through the Force. Perhaps it was some kind of instinct, or his sense for self preservation.

Rapol could feel eyes upon his back, something that wasn't surprising. No matter where they went, the Jedi were often stared at by the populace. Yet, there was something different this time.

He turned around and frowned. Four figures disguised by black cloaks were walking towards him, like predators ready to pounce on their prey.

If he wasn't a Jedi with all that imply, his eyes would have popped out of their sockets. He could see them, but as far as the Force was concerned, they were non-existent.

He felt eyes upon his back and turned around. Four figures disguised by black cloaks were stalking towards him. His huge eyes almost popped out of their sockets. He could see them, but as far as the Force was concerned, they were non-existent.

The Jedi's right hand fell on the hilt of his lightsaber.

The figures continued walking towards him. They drew lightsabers of their own, which snapped to life a moment later.

**=RK=**

**GAR Detention Center SIGMA**

**Classified Location**

**Coruscant**

The three LAAT's that just landed, shut down all their equipment as the welcoming committee was surrounding them. The clones in the transport carefully came out, wary of their "prisoner".

The lights in the hangar blinked once and cut off. The computer system of the detention center crashed under a dedicated cyber attack. At the same time, the men who got out to secure the new prisoner were mercilessly cut down by a hail of blaster fire.

"Good. Let's go." grunted the man who played the role of prisoner. He towered almost two heads above the clones who acted as his escorts.

They ran towards the entrance of the Detention center.


	38. Chapter 16 Part 2

****AN: This was betaed by**** Psy****c****koSama ****on the Space Battles forums! Thank you for the splendid work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 16: The Future of the Order**

**=RK=**

**Part 2**

**Lower Levels**

**Jedi Temple**

**Coruscant**

It didn't look like much. Just a plain metal door, one among many, in a long, dusty corridor.

She took a deep breath, tasting heavy, stale air. Her body tingled in anticipation.

The woman wiped the dust and grime covering a panel on the wall, next to the door and started typing a long sequence of numbers. It took her thirty seconds to enter the whole code.

Then she paused, waited for a five seconds and did so again.

To an impartial observer, her actions might have looked pointless. After all, the panel appeared to be out of power, dead like everything in the deep warrens under the Jedi Temple. After all, this part of the maze under the Jedi's home had been cut off from the power grid for a long, long time.

However, her actions were rewarded by a mechanical clicking, which came from the door. It slid in the walls, revealing a short corridor, which was lit by a soft blue light.

The infiltrator, stepped in and waited for the door to close behind her. Moment later, she heard quiet buzzing and actually felt the beams of ancient scanners mapping up the depths of her body.

A quiet ping latter, and the machines concentrated their attention on her head.

The buzzing grew louder. She felt a tingling sensation within her cranium, where one of her implants came to life. A blinding lance of power slammed in her head. An ancient computer up-linked with her implants. It touched her mind, probing, watching. Judging.

For an endless moment, she felt like ice picks were stabbing her brain. She stumbled, almost falling.

She knew if it found her lacking, her life was forfeit. If the security system had been set up by ordinary Jedi, she might have hopped for non lethal protections in place, but she knew better. That place had been created by the Old Republic's Special Operations Command and the some Jedi who weren't afraid to get their hands dirty when it was needed. And that place's contents needed protection.

The machines around her chimed in content, almost as if the AI was happy.

After all those countless years, it finally had purpose!

The presence of the Old Republic AI became a soft buzz in the back of her head. Her codes and implant signatures checked up, matching what was stored in three thousand and six hundred years old data banks.

The door in front of her slowly opened with a quiet grinding noise.

The infiltrator looked at the large room that was revealed to her and smiled. Her prize was at hand.

**=RK=**

**Communications Tower**

**Jedi Temple **

**Coruscant**

This anger he felt. It brought comfort.

Obi-Wan knew it was wrong.

It shrouded his senses, numbing the pain of seeing one of his friends cut down in front of his eyes. Feeling Korlen die, drove him even closer to the breaking point. Another friend lost due to this senseless war.

For a first time since Qui-Gion's death, Kenobi lost his calm. Again. hate tried to worm its way within his heart, but this time, it succeeded.

If it wasn't for this second attack on the Temple in little more than a month, Obi-Wan would have remained in control, the Model Jedi Master.

Instead, he was betrayed by his own feelings.

Anger and hate surged through Obi-Wan's being and he fell on his chosen target as a rabid Krath hound. The assassin was caught off guard by the ferocity of the onslaught.

The infiltrator fell back in a desperate attempt to avoid the savage bite of Kenobi's azure blade. He took a defensive stance parrying the furious attacks raining all over him.

The surprise almost did him in. He was facing a Jedi Master. They weren't supposed to attack in a berzerker rage!

For Kenobi, that moment was a solitary slip in judgment, one that would have... interesting consequences down the line. He had to draw on all of his experience, years of training, and sheer willpower to pull himself out of that maddened state.

The sudden outburst of fury tampered off, but the anger was still there. The events of the past weeks were of sufficient gravity that his outage was too great to silence. Instead, his burning rage was tempered into a frozen spear of determination by a force of will that only a Master Jedi could accomplish.

Obi-Wan took a brief moment to focus himself. He lost some of the momentum his outburst had gained him, but that was a small price to pay in comparison. One that Kenobi would pay gladly.

He regained some of his control, yet this time the anger he felt, refused to be banished. All he could do was to clamp down on this emotion, prevent it from distracting him in the heat of combat.

Nevertheless, the anger effected him. While Kenobi fought it on one level, on another, deep within his subconsciousness, the Jedi used it. It made him faster, stronger. It gave Obi-Wan a killer instinct he usually lacked, no matter who or what he faced.

**=RK=**

Anakin glared at the man who faced him, his own anger burning in his belly like a furnace, but not yet to the point where it overcame his good sense.

'This is The Jedi Temple, not a kirffing Sith playground!' he silently fumed.

Skywalker bit off a snarl and went on the offensive.

This madness had to end!

He was angry that these bastards would date to attack his home. Furious that they dared murder his brothers and sisters. And frustrated that he seemed completely unable to stop them

So he reached down into that pit of fury sitting in his belly and seized it. Harnessed it, and shook as a he felt the passion surge through his body.

**=RK=**

**Near the Archives**

**Jedi Temple**

**Coruscant**

Something was terribly wrong. I could feel it in my bones.

It went beyond the irritating woman we were facing, but she was the immediate threat. I knew that the warning within the Force wasn't something that should be disregarded, though we needed to deal with her before I could investigate what my instincts were telling me.

But that was proving out to be somewhat troublesome.

The obnoxious woman we were facing was a different type of threat. She wasn't skilled enough with a lightsaber to pose a significant threat to either one of us, much less both of us. The main problem was that whatever she used to cloak herself from the Force, removed one of our main advantages. Sith and Jedi both, we depended a lot on anticipating our opponents through the Force.

But even that, wasn't enough to completely explain it.

Doing so could be extremely useful, at times, but it came at a steep cost. An artifact could hide your signature, the proper techniques could conceal it, but drawing on the Force in that state was like turning on a light while hidden in the shadows. The moment you used your powers the veal would drop.

While often forgotten in the face of our more obvious abilities, one of the things that truly separated Force Adepts from the common throng was our ability to enhance ourselves. Even a Jedi Youngling could boost their strength and reflexes to a point that could challenge even a seasoned warrior.

Shaak Ti was a Jedi Master, one of the best the Order had. Her skill was admirable, even to someone from my era, and I was a kriffing Sith Lord, with all the power and ability that such a title implied.

This woman should have been limited to human physical norms, yet she was matching us blow for blow. What she was doing should have been physically impossible.

To make everything more irritating for me, there was the nagging feeling that she was somehow familiar. While I could swear that I had never laid my eyes upon her, somehow I knew her. It was maddening.

"Veil, have you faced someone like her before?" Shaak Ti asked a moment after ducking under a lighting fast swipe and riposting only to meet air as the infiltrator jumped back, avoiding my attempt to remove her sword hand.

It was a good question.

"I'm not sure..." I muttered.

I propelled myself forward, using the Force. My blade crashed into the infiltrator's stolen saber a moment before I slammed into her.

I was a head taller, twice her mass, and not to mention in heavy armor. The collision should have thrown her off her feet, sending her dazzled to the ground. The first did happen. She flew couple of meters back, before rolling at a low crouch. As she glared at me and her eyes shone with soft blue light.

A smile came to my face as the situation finally made itself clear. I stretched my neck, letting the bones pop quietly for effect.

"Ah. It's been a while since I faced something like you. Pray tell, how much are you enhanced?" I asked.

**=RK=**

**GAR Detention Center SIGMA**

**Classified Location**

**Coruscant**

The masked mercenary leading the raid grunted in displeasure. There was almost no resistance while he led the troops under his command into storming one of the better defended facilities on Coruscant.

Just as expected. Most of the building were on lock down, cutting off the defense forces stationed within the detention center from his path.

When all was said and done, he had to face a short company of clone troopers. Piecemeal.

If he'd had to take them head on, he'd have never taken the job. But with the aid of benefactor and the agents he had within the Republic, a suicidal assault had been transformed into a cake walk.

Enough that he felt a pang of disappointment. While he might be a merc, and this was easy money, he still wanted a bit more of a challenge, kriff it all! Damn Sith and their schemes!

Still, he reflected as he blew the head off yet another clone, killing all of these cut rate Mandalorian knockoffs was still quite cathartic

The conclusion of his primary objective was underwhelming. A bunch of shaped charges blew the doors leading to their target. They were followed by a spread smoke and fragmentation grenades, with couple of Thermal Detonators for effect, which left the last defenders easy prey for few well aimed burst of fire.

The last squad of clones trying to stop him never knew what hit them.

A hacked door later and he entered a small cell, dominated by delicate life support machinery, surrounding a large cylinder filled with clear liquid. Inside he could see a few pathetic bits of meat and one glaring eye.

Behold the great and mighty General Grievous in all his terrible glory!

This was all waste of time, if you asked him.

"Pack this cretin and lets go, before the Republic drop a regiment or something on our heads!" grumbled Durge.

"Roger, sir!" answered one of the soldiers aiding in the jail break.

**=RK=**

**Kelins**

**Outer Rim**

Bolla Ropal steeled himself in the face on the oncoming assault.

"This is a first." he muttered.

Facing assailants who were apparently non-existent in the Force was a new experience for the Jedi Master. Under different circumstances, he might have found it fascinating.

But not now. Not only his life was on the line, but that of the Force sensitive kid he had come to recruit.

"I gather that just going on our separate ways isn't an option?" Bolla inquired calmly, and fell in a Soresu stance, waiting them to act.

The cloaked men ignored his words and charged.

The Rodian met their onslaught without flinching. He parried a slash aimed at his head, sidestepped an overenthusiastic lunge and jumped over a swipe which tried to cut off his legs, only to receive a kick in the ribs for his trouble.

Bolla was caught mid air by the strike and it sent him crashing on the ground. He wasted no time and rolled away, barely avoiding one of his attackers, who jumped at him and nearly impaled him with his blade.

Ropal sent a Force wave at his attackers before jumping to his feet. To his unpleasant surprise it only staggered them for a brief moment. But at least it allowed him to regain a bit of the initiative in the fight.

He ran away, in an attempt to get some distance between himself and the strangers trying to kill him. From the brief encounter it was painfully clear to him that facing them all together was a losing proposition.

Bolla sprinted to the nearest house and jumped to its roof. A moment after he landed, the Jedi turned around and his blade was singing through the air.

He caught the fastest of his pursuers off guard and cut through the chest of the cloaked man, sending him back over the edge to crash on the ground, meters below them.

The remaining assassins moved as one, jumping together after their prey.

**=RK=**

**Lower Levels**

**Jedi Temple**

**Coruscant**

She smiled. The large room was full with tables and shelves, each one of which was covered by artifacts from the Great War. Any one of them alone would be a great prize, yet she didn't spare them a second glance.

Those trinkets, no matter how dangerous and useful, paled in comparison to her goal. At the far wall of the room, behind a solid wall of warship grade armor laid her targets.

She went to a lit up terminal, which was near the goal and started typing, all the while the AI protecting the small sanctuary under the Jedi Temple watched her with ill disguised curiosity.

It took her minutes of manually inputting codes which no living being should have remembered after all those years, before she heard a series of mechanical clicks. The room rumbled and sections of the nearest wall slid down, revealing another room, much smaller this time.

The infiltrator smile grew and she walked into the computer core of the AI. She retrieved a datapad from her belt and hooked it to the ancient machine.

Moment's later a chime rang in announcing that the new device was recognized and connected to the core.

"Copy all information to projects under Case Red and above." she ordered aloud, while sending a mental command through her implants.

The AI hesitated for a split second and obeyed. The woman had the necessary codes and had followed the procedures hardwired in its computer core.

Meanwhile, the woman walked to the back of the room. Her next prize waited there.

A pitch black cube, with a meter long sides. A cylinder made by transparent metal in which a gray humanoid droid was suspended into a stasis field. A pedestal with a single silver Holocron.

That was it. She frowned. There was supposed to be something else there too!

"Computer. Where is Subject 'Ascension'? "she asked.

"It was removed three thousand six hundred eighty eight years ago." answered a bland, emotionless voice.

"To where?"

"No data available."

"Damn it!" she cursed, though three out of four should be good enough.

The woman removed a star-burst shaped necklace from her neck and concentrated on the Force. She reached with her right hand and the Holocron rose in the air. It started shifting under her directions until it revealed an emerald which was in its heart.

The crystal flew to her outstretched hand, while the Holocron returned to its previous shape and gently laid back to its resting place.

The infiltrator pocketed her prize and went to the cube.

She started pressing various points on it, apparently at random, while sending brief bursts of Force energy through her fingers.

Soon enough, it rang with a single note. A pulse of silver energy ran all over it's surface and it started shifting. It's outer edges became blurs, leaving an impression that the object now existed in more dimensions than a human could perceive.

A quiet hum could be heard in the computer core. It was slowly becoming louder.

"It actually worked!" she exclaimed.

She could feel how the object was drawing in Force energy to power itself.

Moments later, she could feel a confirmation from the AI that the data transfer was complete.

"Erase all logs concerning my presence here and delete the data concerning projects under Case Red and above from your data banks." she ordered after retrieving her data pad.

It was time to make herself scarce. Her job was done and the device she activated should deal with any physical backups of the information that remained. Or so she thought.

She left without sparing a second glance to the room containing the AI's computer core. So it was no surprise that when the former cube started sending electrical discharges all around itself, it went unnoticed.

One of those lightning bolts struck the pod containing the droid and disrupted the stasis field.


	39. Chapter 16 Part 3

****AN: This was betaed by Gatemaster ****on the Space Battles forums! Thank you for the splendid work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 16: The Future of the Order**

**=RK=**

**Part 3**

**Kelins****  
****Outer Rim**

Master Ropal dashed over rooftops, moving away from his pursuers. His mind was racing. He had to draw them away from the kid. Bolla didn't have enough time to ponder how they tracked him, though considering they were undetectable through the Force, that wasn't such big a surprise as it would have been otherwise.

He had kriffed up. Relied too much on the Force for a warning that never came. He should have known better.

Ropal landed on the street behind the house, with pursuers hot on his heels. He looked around, noticing a pair of box shaped droids. The machines were cleaning the street, paying no attention to the commotion.

If the Force didn't work particularly well when directly applied on the assassins, then he would have to improvise. To be fair, he was unpleasantly surprised when his Force push didn't throw them off their feet, but he had the nagging feeling that his plan was going to work.

Bolla turned around and used his free hand to more easily grab the droids with the Force. When the attackers jumped to the street, they were meet by a pair of heavy metal boxes flying straight at them.

One managed to use the Force to deflect the incoming projectile, which slammed at the side of the house behind the trio of cloaked pursuers. The man next to him wasn't so fortunate. He was unable to fully push away the droid, and it caught him on the right shoulder. The impact hurled the assassin back, who crashed on the ground in a moaning heap.

The Jedi Master used the opportunity to counterattack. He not only temporally incapacitated one of the remaining attackers, but had bought himself precious seconds before the one who deflected the droid could rejoin his unimpeded fellows.

Ropal charged the masked man who was able to reach him ahead of the rest. Their blades met in a fury of blows and counter blows.

Bolla smirked when the second assassin tried to join the duel. He used the Force to pick up one of the droid he had hurled like battering ramps and pulled it towards them. The machine flew low over the ground, demolished a section of the low fence surrounding the house it had impacted and forced the second assailant to jump back.

The man engaging Master Ropal flinched when the fence behind him was demolished. His guard wavered for a split second and he got a lightsaber blade in the gut for his trouble. The assassin gasped in pain and tried to stab the Jedi, but Ropal grabbed the wrist of his sword arm before moving his weapon up and to the right.

The azure blade cut through the man's chest as if it was made of butter, slashed his heart and exited over his left shoulder.

Bolla left the dead man fall to the ground and jumped over the fresh corpse. He liked the new odds much better.

**=RK=**

**Lower Levels****  
****Jedi Temple****  
****Coruscant**

A Jedi wearing hooded robe, which concealed his features, stalked through the deserted corridors of the Temple. The lock down of the building had actually helped him. No one expected that another one of the infiltrators would head for the basement, so both clones and Jedi alike were scrambling to seal all the exits and secure the perimeter, all the while they kept guard on what they believed to be critical areas.

Well, the half forgotten halls under the Temple were none of that. Besides, there wasn't supposed to be a way to leave the building from there. As far as the current crop of Jedi knew anyway.

Bane smirked, and followed the directions displayed on his datapad. It took him about half hour to reach his destination. A massive sealed door, which lead to a tunnel stretching for kilometers.

He scanned the surrounding walls, found where the hardline for the sensors watching his exit was located and got busy.

Five minutes later, that part of the security system was thrown for a loop and he started hacking the doors control panel. It was a good thing that this part of the Temple's underground was mostly forgotten or he would have had to dealt with clone troopers and modern security systems.

Cad Bane couldn't help but wonder how much the Jedi had forgotten about their own Temple, though he was ready to bet a lot that after today's events, those lapses in security would no longer exist.

The wall panel blinked green and the armored door started opening with an ear piercing grinding sound. The damn thing hadn't been in use for a very long time, which wasn't surprising. The sheet of thick dust in the corridor was a dead giveaway.

Bane smirked and disappeared in the dark tunnel leading to safety.

**=RK=**

**Near the Archives****  
****Jedi Temple****  
****Coruscant**

"Enough to get the job done," the infiltrator answered and charged us again.

I shook my head. All things considered, she was rather good. Good enough to slow down either one of us if she was lucky, though that was mostly due to whatever cloaked her.

Against Shaak Ti and me, once we adjusted to fighting an opponent such as that obnoxious woman?

I met her charge head on, forcing her to back off under a flurry of brutal strikes. That gave Shaak Ti an opening and she took it, slipping to the woman's left side. The infiltrator tried to turn so she could continue facing both of us, but I didn't give her the chance and pressed my attack. I saw a look of resignation in her eyes a moment before my Jedi Master friend made her move and literally disarmed our adversary.

The crippled woman jumped back, and leaned on the wall behind her.

"Heh. Just as expected from the two of you," she smirked. Then scowled at us. "You've won nothing!"

Her head twitched. Her eyes became bloodshot pools crisscrossed by crimson veins and she crumbled to the floor.

I've seen more than enough corpses in my day. I knew she was dead before she hit the ground.

I frowned at the body. This war was gaining a new and unexpected dimension. I wondered what secrets her body held. The GAR R&amp;D teams would love to get their hands on her implants.

"We still need to check on the Archives."

Shaak Ti's voice got me back to the real world. I nodded and we sprinted forward.

**=RK=**

**Near the Communications Tower****  
****Jedi Temple****  
****Coruscant**

The raid on the Jedi Temple was all but over. The only remaining resistance were the two men who were engaging Skywalker and Kenobi. Those two infiltrators weren't faring too good.

While they had superb training and top of the line cybernetic enhancements, they were never meant to meet opponents such as those two Jedi, unless they had heavy reinforcements at hand. It was too bad that the ones who could count on help were Obi-Wan and his former apprentice.

Not that they needed it.

Both Jedi were quite furious, struggling to control their emotions. At least Kenobi was. Yet he wasn't quite successful. While the Jedi Master was getting calmer, he was fighting with an aggression that would surprise those who knew him. His opponent was forced to fall back constantly in order to absorb the strong attacks raining all over him.

The only reason that assassin was still alive was simple. Obi-Wan was a master of Soresu. While he was quite proficient with some of the other forms of lightsaber combat, they felt off to him, especially when on the offensive.

It didn't matter in the end. The infiltrator he was facing merely got an extra fifteen seconds to live, but the outcome was a foregone conclusion. A sweeping strike pushed away the crimson blade of the infiltrator, who was too slow to parry the next attack. The tip of Obi-Wan's lightsaber slashed through half his neck, before stabbing him in the chest for good measure.

Behind them, Anakin was already done. Cybernetic implants or not, Skywalker's powerful strikes, enhanced by the Force and the strength of his prosthetic arm were more than the last of the assassins could handle.

Punishing blow after punishing blow had struck the infiltrator's defenses, until he could no longer keep up. There was no finesse in what Anakin did. He simply battered his opponent into submission, shattering his guard.

That was it. The next strike cleaved the intruder in two.

**=RK=**

**Lower Levels****  
****Jedi Temple****  
****Coruscant**

Awareness came slowly. First to come online was the energy core, which started humming quietly, before the sound dampeners build around it were fed enough energy.

Automatic diagnostic programs ran next, on the heels of the power running through the droids conduits. Surprisingly enough, the machine was in reasonably good shape.

Next to come online was its datacore, which immediately started running diagnostics. The hardware appeared to be all right, though it could use some newer parts.

Then it was turn for the software to be scanned by expert systems before the droid could be really brought online.

Its photo receptors came to life, glowing blue. It, no he, remembered everything.

HK-117 looked around, recognizing a much bigger AI core than his own. How interesting...

But that was an afterthought. He was confined into a stasis tube, which apparently no longer worked. Getting out shouldn't be a much of a problem. He still has a few of his build in weapons installed. A blaster and a vibroblade in each arm. More than enough.

What took almost all of his attention though, was the construct spinning in the air to his right. How could he not, when the kriffing thing was sending cascades of electricity all around it?

More importantly, HK-117 recognized it. He had seen the effect of one of those things detonating. He and his master were safely in orbit at the time.

The sentient wardroid really didn't want to experience the detonation of this weapon firsthand.

He wasted no more time, unfolded his vibroblades, and started carving his way out of the stasis pod.

**=RK=**

**Near the Archives****  
****Jedi Temple****  
****Coruscant****  
**  
Meanwhile, all around the Temple, the Jedi and Veil could feel something siphoning the Force from underneath them. Only one of them knew what that meant.

Shaak Ti was rather disturbed when she felt something draining the Force from around the Temple. Then she saw Veil's face. It was pale, like a ghost. He closed his eyes, his face becoming tense.

"I need to get to the tunnels under the Temple! Now!" Delkatar snapped, surprising her even further. "Or we are all dead..." he added more calmly.

For a moment she was still, wondering what to do. It was easy in the end. For some reason she trusted him. Veil had more than ample opportunity to betray both the Republic and the Jedi, yet he didn't do it, instead he risked his life again and again to help them.

"This way!" she said and ran down a side corridor, with Delkatar sprinting hot on her heels. "What is happening?"

"We have a WMD charging under our feet!" growled Veil.

**=RK=**

**Kelins****  
****Outer Rim**

Master Ropal made a short work of his latest assailant. One on one the assassins, despite their tricks, stood no chance against the Jedi master. That only left the wounded one, who laid stunned on the ground with a shattered shoulder. Which was great. That man had a few pointed questions to answer.

Before Bolla could reach his prospective captive, he was nearly thrown off his feet by a massive explosion. A house to his right went up in a huge fireball, obliterating the dwelling.

The Jedi stared at the smoking heap of rubble, which used to be the home of the kid he had came to retrieve.

"You did better than I expected, Master Jedi!" another cloaked figure appeared.

It appeared to be male, at least a head taller than the men Bolla was forced to dispatch. The stranger's features were hidden by an expensive looking black cloak, but all that was secondary. Ropal could see what was in the newcomers hands.

A sleeping baby boy. So this was it. The reason for the attack.

The Jedi glared at the man who dared endanger the future of the Order.

The stranger chuckled.

"Are you angry, Master Ropal?" he nodded at the kid in his arms. "You've gone to great lengths to secure the future of the Jedi. He doesn't look like much, does he? Merely few months old, yet so strong. Though I would have thought that the Jedi would have sent his father to retrieve him. He is one of you, after all..."

Bolla's eyes almost fell off their sockets. How in the name of the Force? The ones who knew it could be counted on the fingers of one hand!

"Galen Marek. I sense a 'bright' future for this child,"taunted the cloaked man.

Ropal gripped the hilt of his lightsaber. He couldn't let that man kidnap the kid! Yet, engaging him would endanger the boy!

The Jedi Master was concentrated on the obvious threat and his objective on this world. He never saw the faint ripple through the air behind him. The Force gave him no warning.

Nevertheless he sensed something and rolled to his left, his lightsaber sweeping behind his back. The Jedi's blade was stopped by something solid.

Before he could jump to his feet, the tip of a Force pike caught him under the chin, almost shattering his jaw. Ropal's world exploded with agonizing pain and purple light. He convulsed when another pike touched his chest and his whole body seized in convulsions.

"So predictable," the man holding Galen shook his head.

Two men clad in black light body armor faded into view and stood at attention, their force pikes extended in parade rest. Three pairs of eyes fell on the knocked out Jedi.

What Ropal had on his person was priceless. After all, the Jedi Master was carrying the key for his Order's very future.


	40. Chapter 16 Part 4

****AN: This was betaed by ****Gatemaster ****on the Space Battles forums! Thank you for the splendid work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 16: The Future of the Order**

**=RK=**

**Part 4**

**Near the Archives  
Jedi Temple  
Coruscant**

"This is General Veil. Code Black. I repeat Code Black. Evacuate all critical personnel within five hundred kilometers from the Jedi Temple. I repeat Code Black! This is not a drill! Move it people!" I ordered in my comm after sending my clearance codes.

It was going to be close. If we were lucky that is.

"Explain!" snapped Shaak Ti.

She was well aware what the code meant. An active WMD, with the powers that be, me in this case, believing that it had a very good chance of going off.

I could sense her worry and a hint of anger, which was trying to worm its way in through her defenses only to be stamped out by her indominable will.

"You are sensing the Force being drained, right?" I asked.

"It's hard to miss!" she deadpanned.

True enough. It was like a vacuum cleaner sucking the power surrounding us.

"That is a kriffing Nexus bomb!" I declared.

She gave me a confused look. Ah. So that unpleasant bit of history hadn't made it into any history books she had read. It would be fun to check what else they forgot. If I ever got the free time...

"It is a particularly nasty piece of work, that is useful only on locations seeped with Force energies. It absorbs the Force into a multidimensional matrix, and when it has reached critical charge or there is no more Force left to eat, it detonates."

"The Jedi Temple is one of the most Force saturated locations in the Galaxy," muttered Shaak Ti.

"That's why I want everyone important within five hundred kilometers radius evacuated. We would never get everyone out in time. Besides if we aren't blown up to orbit, the panic a widespread evacuation will cause would cause a lot of avoidable casualties."

That earned me a withering glare from Shaak Ti, who fired up her own comm and started speaking with Yoda.

**=RK=**

**Lower Levels  
Jedi Temple  
Coruscant**

The transparent alloy making up the stasis pod turned out to be much tougher than HK-117 expected. It took him ten slashes before his vibroblades could rend it asunder enough for him to break his way out.

Even then, it was an awkward affair. The droid managed to make a roughly circular hole in the middle of the cylinder and had to craw out of it. It was good thing that his master had designed him with a lot of agility in mind. Who knew that a feature meant to help him in sneaking around on recon and assassination missions would come in handy in such a way?

Once he was out of that technological tomb, HK-117 turned his attention towards the Nexus bomb. The weapon was charging, but it was obviously defective. The arcs of electricity emanating from it were a dead giveaway.

The droid scanned his databanks for all information he had about the weapon preparing to go off. If his sensors were correct about the power buildup, he wouldn't be able to get away fast enough, unless there was a fighter waiting fueled and ready in a nearby room.

HK-117 had to disarm the bomb. Somehow.

However, there was a tiny problem with that plan. As far as he knew, once a Nexus bomb was active, only a Force adept should be able to prevent it from going 'BANG'.

**=RK=**

**Lower Levels  
Jedi Temple  
Coruscant**

Our dash to the Temple's underbelly was a blur. We passed groups of Jedi and Clones who were hastily, almost frantically making their ways to the docks, seeking a way out of the building, but we paid little attention to any of them.

With every step towards the bomb we could feel the Force being siphoned from around us and as soon as we passed beyond the commonly inhabited parts of the Jedi's sanctuary, Shaak Ti and me entered an empty void. At least that's how it felt. We dashed through parts of the buildings that have been abandoned by anyone but some old maintenance droids and the occasional curious padawan.

The ancient corridors pressed upon us, making us feel claustrophobic, despite being tall and wide.

It was the lack of the Force around us that caused such sensations. And it was getting worse.

I could feel my very life essence being slowly drained from my body. All I could do was to gather the Force deep within myself and try keeping it from being stolen by the charging warhead.

Going in deeper and deeper into the abandoned tunnels under the Jedi Temple was becoming an agonizing journey. It felt like tiny pieces from my very being were being torn asunder with each passing heartbeat.

I don't know how long it took us to reach the epicenter of the vortex draining the Force, or how we actually managed to go there while still possessing some of our power, yet we made it. Was it luck, the will of the Force or simple stubbornness, I didn't care at the time.

We found ourselves facing a short corridor, with half sealed blast doors at each end. I could see bolts of lightning lancing at random from the room within. Next to me, Shaak Ti winced at the display.

Going inside would be problematic.

I gritted my teeth and raised a shield around us, and sprinted through the cascading arches of electricity. Bolt after bolt struck me, harmlessly dancing over my defensive dome and discharging in the floor. Shaak Ti was a step behind me, for some reason trusting me not to get us killed.

We passed through a large storage room, filled with once useful Sith and Jedi artifacts, which now laid dormant, drained from any shred of Force energies. I cursed quietly, which fortunately remained unheard by Shaak Ti thanks to the sound of cracking electricity drowning my words.

So much useful tools now fit only to be harmless museum exhibits. What a kriffing waste...

I shook my head and pressed on, reaching the far end of the room, where the door leading to the Nexus bomb waited for us open wide.

I stepped in and looked around. My eyes were busy scanning the much smaller compartment where the WMD was preparing to blow up.

Bare walls. Something that looked like a computer mainframe. The dazzling display of the charging multidimensional matrix, which looked like a bunch of shifting and twisting snowflakes made from silver energy. White and blue lighting bolts cascading in a deadly waterfall all around us.

I would have called the spectacle beautiful beyond measure if it wasn't about to murder us.

"Master, is that you?!" exclaimed a painfully familiar synthetic voice.

It was a ghost from a bygone era, which reminded me of better times... Hearing it almost shattered my concentration and I was barely able to retain control of the shield protecting Shaak Ti and me.

I looked at the source of the voice and smiled, a silver of hope raising in my chest. The form of a familiar droid was standing next to the Nexus bomb. The torrents of lighting merely twisted around him, leaving him unharmed.

"HK, what the hell are you doing here?!" I blurred out.

It should have been impossible. He was lost about a year before I was catapulted to the Clone Wars era.

"Ah, Master! You were found!" exclaimed the droid.

His head moved few centimeters to the right and two sapphire photo receptors locked on Shaak Ti.

"Togruta. Jedi. And she is definitely not your wife, though I could see some resemblance. Is she hostile?" asked HK-117 while he took a defensive stance. A pair of vibroblades pointed at Shaak Ti in what was supposed to be not too threatening manner.

If the way her emotions shifted was anything to go by, she decided that HK's actions were fairly concerning.

"She's friendly. I'll deal with the kriffing bomb and we can catch up later. Make sure that I'm not disturbed," I ordered and moved closer to the dimensional matrix.

"As you command, Master. I'm glad you are back!" exclaimed HK-117 and moved to cover my back, while looking at Shaak Ti with what I supposed was curiosity. "Master, I have to ask a question in order to execute your orders more efficiently."

"What is it?" I asked distractedly, while I was trying to remember how exactly I was supposed to stop the bomb from evaporating us.

"What are your intentions towards the Jedi? Are you going to marry and impregnate her too? Should I consider her my new Mistress and ensure that she is protected?" HK asked with what passed for an innocent tone, but was anything but. I could almost sense him laughing his metal ass off, the bastard!

Behind me, Shaak Ti spluttered. I suddenly felt like running far away and it wasn't because of the bomb in front of me.

"HK, shut up!" I growled. "I'll deal with you later. Bloody joker."

I could feel Shaak Ti's eyes boring holes in my back. Great. Just Great. If I didn't get blown up, I would get killed by pissed off Jedi Master.

"HK, right now I hate you so much..." I muttered.

"I aim to please, Master!" exclaimed the droid. "However, I think you should concentrating on the ticking bomb for now, Master."

The tin can was enjoying this. Nevertheless, he was right. The live WMD first, dealing with my rampant droid second.

I closed my eyes and drew on what Force powers I had left. My mind concentrated on the sensation of the energy being ripped from my body and I followed the channel through which my very life was sucked away.

Soon enough, I found myself in the epicenter of an energy storm. My senses were touching the dimensional vortex, a part of them even piecing it. I could feel the general form of the matrix condensing the Force into a ready to release destructive energy. I started examining it, until I sensed what I could describe as otherness, wrongness. A line in the fabric of reality that didn't belong here.

Jackpot. That was what I was looking for. It was one of the seams connecting the matrix with another dimension.

I weaved my remaining Force energies into a thin scalpel wielded it carefully. I needed to work precisely or my life was forfeit, in which case a significant part of Coruscant was kriffed beyond belief.

I cut through the very foundation of the dimensional matrix, manipulating parts of it and destroying others. More often than not, I had to leave the Force to guide my actions as some of the parts I worked on were phased out in such a fashion that I couldn't perceive them clearly. Or at all.

It was a surreal experience. Like I was on multiple places at the same time, yet not. It was hard, almost impossible to describe with words. Like I was split into multiple copies of myself, each of which had a piece of my mind and was directed by my will. I could feel what all of them experienced.

Suddenly it was all over. The matrix was altered. The drinking the Force slowed down and stopped.

The last think I could feel was the build in energy being dissipated in other dimensions instead of blowing up a significant part of Coruscant. I grinned, a moment before the backslash hit me and I knew no more.

**=RK=**

"Master, not again!" HK spoke in exasperation.

The general got himself knocked out. Again. Kriffing organics.

"Ahem!" the Togruta, Shaak Ti, cleared her throat.

HK-117 turned his head in her direction.

"So, are you my Master's new girlfriend?" he asked. Just to make a conversation, until the general was conscious again. A bit of small talk, nothing to get angry about. Right?

The Jedi actually growled at him. If he had lips, HK would have smiled. So his master was already getting under her skin. This was going to be so much fun!


	41. Chapter 16 Part 5

****AN: This was betaed by ****Gatemaster ****on the Space Battles forums! Thank you for the splendid work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 16: The Future of the Order**

**=RK=**

**Part 5**

**Medical Center  
Jedi Temple  
Coruscant**

I looked at Piett with incredulous expression on my face.

"Ensign, remind me to have whoever is responsible for the Republic's counter-intelligence efforts in general, shot for incompetence."

"Sir?" asked the poor junior officer. It was evident that my words made him uneasy.

"Despite how we'll be spinning this mess for the public, we got kriffed. Again!" I deadpanned. "Grievous, or what's left from that imbecile – gone! What we presume to be CIS agents managed to get their hands on at least a few Holocrons, the Army and Navy's comm codes and partial force dispositions, and almost blew up a big part of Coruscant, including the Senate and the Jedi Temple."

Firmus cringed.

"Yes, sir. You are correct. At least you stopped that bomb!" he tried to cheer me up.

"And I ended in the damn hospital!"

"Ahem!" an elderly, female Jedi glared daggers at me.

Master Olendra Jolind was the Temple's Chief medic and for some reason scared the crap out of me. There was something in the way she sweetly smiled at me when I tried to release myself an hour ago, long before the battery of tests she wanted to run on me was complete, that chilled the blood in my veins.

Yeah. She didn't want loud voices or curses in her domain.

Did I mention that I'm scared from doctors? It had something to do with my experience with them as a Sith and in what happened to me in my previous trans-dimensional adventure.

Even HK-117 had decided to wait outside. I still hadn't made my mind whether he was apprehensive of her or simply enjoyed my suffering.

She-who-must-not-be-named-or-irritated-for-that-matter glanced at me as if she knew I was thinking about her. I gave her a nervous smile and returned my attention to Piett, wondering if my skittishness was because the head Jedi doctor was a good friend of Shaak Ti, who was really pissed off at me at the moment. All thanks to HK's oversized mouth.

"Did I missed something else important?" I asked.

"Commander Tano apprehended a shape-shifter masking as a Jedi Master. The infiltrator gave us some information in exchange for more lenient treatment. Apparently the Holocrons were stolen because they are the only way to read a crystal containing the names of all Force Sensitive children across the galaxy of whom the Jedi Order is aware."

I stared at Piett for at least a minute, before my faculties returned and I was able to restart my brain. I snapped my hanging jaw shut and grinned. This was an excellent opportunity! I needed to get my hands on that info and send it to my Black Ops detachment.

"What are the Jedi doing in order to retrieve the information?"

"They sent Generals Kenobi, Skywalker and Shaak Ti to retrieve the crystal and the Jedi master in whose possession it was."

"Well, given the gravity of the situation, we should help our Jedi friends. After all, we can't leave them hanging in their hour of need." I said sincerely.

Naturally, by helping them I meant rescuing as many of those kids as possible from Jedi indoctrination, but no one here needed to know that.

I tried to get up again and winced. The Nexus bomb's dimension rift had made a number on me. I was barely able to stand up and my connection with the Force was shaky. It would be some time before I was up for my usual tricks.

"General Veil!" snapped the voice of Master Olendra Jolind.

This was going to be a loooong day...

**=RK=**

**Council Chambers  
Jedi Temple  
Coruscant**

When I was finally released from the hospital, I made my way to meet Masters Yoda and Secura, who wanted to know how the hell their nice Temple almost got blown up. That was going to be entertaining conversation.

I was escorted to the Council Chambers by my bodyguards, who weren't particularly thrilled at me. After all, I had left them to guard the Temple's security center instead of taking them with me when I went to chase intruders and disarming WMDs. For some reason they were more peeved because they missed the part with the big ass bomb than anything else...

Needless to say, HK-117 was walking a step behind me the whole way. I didn't miss the suspicious looks exchanged between him and the clones who were supposed to keep me in one piece.

"Master! Is this really necessary?!" asked an exasperated HK. "Those meatbags can't protect you! Look at them! They don't even have half-decent armor and heavy weapons! No proper Force Adepts as minions! Not even an angry Wookie tagging along!" whined the droid.

More than a few of the clone troopers growled at HK, who somehow managed to look smug.

"Chill HK! I know that the GAR's standard equipment is trash. I hope that we'll have a much better kit before our next major deployment."

"That is the understatement of the week!" declared the droid.

I shook my head at his antics. At least he had stopped riling up the Jedi after royally pissing off Shaak Ti, which reminded me. I needed to find a way to make up to her for HK's insinuations before she decided to gut me on general principle alone.

When we reached the Council chambers, I left my guards behind and entered accompanied only by HK-117, which I hoped wouldn't turn out to be a mistake...

Inside I found Yoda and Secura waiting for us in person, with Masters Plo Koon, Kenobi and most importantly, Shaak Ti, present via the holonetwork. Anakin, being a wet behind the ears Jedi Knight, was excluded from this meeting.

I nodded at the Jedi and smiled nervously at Shaak Ti. Her glare promised retribution. Our byplay wasn't missed by Yoda, whose ears twitched in amusement. Or irritation. I honestly couldn't tell.

"General Veil. We would like an explanation about the events that occurred under our feet yesterday," Master Secura started the inquisition.

I shrugged and gave them my account of the events.

They were silent for few moments, while shooting each other pointed looks.

"Delkatar, do you know how a Sith weapon of such destructive capabilities ended under the Temple?" Obi-Wan was the one who asked the question that was one every Jedi's tongue.

I gave them a cheerful smile. Oh, I was going to enjoy this.

I raised my right index finger.

"I must make something clear, Master Jedi."

I could sense a shift in their emotions. I think there was something in my grin that they found disturbing.

"That Nexus bomb wasn't a Sith weapon."

Unfortunately, their reaction was subdued. Only frowns and cross looks sent my way. Eh. I can't rile them up every time.

"Explain, you will, General Veil."

I nodded at Yoda.

"The Nexus bomb was created during what you call the Great War. It came into being thanks to a collaborative efforts of the scientists of the Jedi Order and Old Republics Special Operations command. As far as I know, it saw four actual deployments. Three of them were by the Republic, with the fourth by the Empire after we captured one of the weapons, reverse engineered it and improved it."

My only answer were few quiet gasps and a deafening silence.

"My master should know!" HK-117 interjected. "I was a part of a team he led to capture the bomb a Republic Special Operations unit tried to use on Korriban."

"HK, you don't know when to keep your mouth shut, do you?" I asked exasperated.

"Master! You wound me! Before I was deactivated, your exploits were made public by the Empire in order to raise morale and increase recruitment quotas! The Jedi should have this information in their archives. I'm just reminding them how awesome my master is!"

I glared at the droid.

"Since when did you became a bloody brownnoser?!" I snapped at HK -117.

"Proud response: It is not often that I have the chance to rile up the Jedi Council!" the droid beamed at me. "Just look at them, Master! The look on their faces is priceless!"

I glanced at the Jedi and smirked.

"Please tell me you are recording this!"

**=RK=**

**General Valentra's office  
GAR Headquarters (Location Classified)  
Coruscant**

Veil crashed in the nearest free chair, quietly cursing the still persistent weakness which clung to his body.

Three days had passed since his close encounter with evaporation and he obviously wasn't fully recovered. While he was being treated at the Jedi Temple, Coruscant had become a much greater circus than usual, thanks to the second round of attacks. To add insult to injury, news about Grievous' escape had been leaked to the general public, causing near panic by itself.

That's why Veil and Valentra had called this meeting. The newest attacks were a painful reminder that the Republic's security situation sucked and that wasn't something either of the people gathered in the general's office was going to let slide.

Valentra looked at the men and women who were sitting on the other side of his desk, while sipping from a steaming cup of caff.

Veil looked like he needed to catch up on a week or so of shut eye.

Next was Marik Yle, a pale human male, who looked like he had crawled from some deep dark cave. Fitting in a way. He was the Director of the SBI, the Senate Bureau of Intelligence, the civilian intel agency of the Republic. Yle got the job after his predecessor died in the attack on the Senate. Marik's hard pale eyes were examining the people in the room with cold indifference.

The Director of ONI (Office of Naval Intelligence), was sitting as far away from her civilian counterpart as possible. She was a middle aged Twi'lek woman, with light green skin which almost blended with her uniform thanks to its olive green color. Ivon Fell, had her face mostly hidden by a data-pad from which she was busy reading.

Last, but not the least, was a Clone General who was indistinguishable from his more common brethren by design. He was JC-31, also know as Jack. His position in the military was interesting one. Jack was in charge of the Republic Intelligence, the military intel agency, ever since his Duros predecessor, General Solt Ner, was murdered during the attack on the army's headquarters.

To the unenlightened, this meeting was "simply" a bunch of army and navy officers doing their job. While that was a correct answer, it was far from complete one. With the Clone Wars ongoing as they were, and most of the Senate decimated with its remnants unable to find their asses even with a recon platoon guiding them, the importance of the meeting, and the people participating in it couldn't be understated.

Beside the Chancellor and Master Yoda, the most powerful people in the Republic were gathered in Valentra's office. To be fair, no one, especially either of them, knew what consequences their meeting would have in the fullness of time... But that was a story better told much later.

Valentra drank some of his caff and forced himself to smile.

"Now that we are all here..." he trailed off and pressed a button under his desk. A wave of static electricity passed through the room a moment before its door slammed shut. Various shields and counter-surveillance fields sprang to life, isolating them from the outside world.

With a simple press of a button, they were in one of the most secure places in the Republic as far as unwanted eyes and ears were concerned.

"Now we can talk freely," added General Valentra.

The only answer he received were four guarded nods.

"First item. It's obvious to all of us that we need to clean house and plug the leaks to the CIS, before it is too late."


	42. Chapter 17 Part 1

****AN: This was betaed by ****Gatemaster****on the Space Battles forums! Thank you for the splendid work!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

****Rogue Knight****

**Phase 17: Future Imperfect**

**=RK=**

**Part 1**

**Industrial District "Helios"****  
****Coruscant****  
**  
Darth Sidious prowled through one of his secret sanctuaries within the very heart of the Republic. It wasn't exactly a place what one would associate as the lair of the Dark Lord of the Sith. In fact, his current adobe was a luxury executive apartment on one of the highest floors of a building housing a droid assembly plant. Officially he was visiting a wealthy Coruscanti magnate, who had few issues concerning the build up of the Republic army to bring up with an old friend.

Needless to say, the truth was a bit different. Said businessman was one of the many puppets of Palpatine, this one even helping him willingly and making a fortune from the war. Of course, the man, one George Kol, was unaware of the Chancellor's true identity and real plants for the future, though he might have approved.

It didn't matter. Kol had been under the Force induced influence of Sidious for a long time, making him little more than a puppet if the Sith Lord so wished. As it was, the magnate was providing Sidious with a fool proof alibi, while the Sith Lord was busy investigating how exactly his plans went awry. Again.

Palpatine had a data-pad in hand and was reading reports from two different sources about the attack on the Jedi Temple, which was executed the previous day. On the face of it, the raid went flawlessly. Almost too good to be true and it was.

He was looking at two documents in particular. One was the GAR preliminary report about the attack on the Jedi Temple and the other was the summary from the CIS agents who made it out after the attack. There were subtle, but critical differences.

On the face of it, the reports agreed. The CIS agents had infiltrated the building without too much trouble and by all accounts had achieved their primary objectives, despite suffering heavy casualties. The high points were the death of some Jedi, who's names were included in the GAR report, something that brought the Sith Lord a lot of pleasure. Further, thanks to the successful break into the Jedi Temple's comm tower, his hands were untied. Now Sidious could provide ever better intelligence to the CIS in order to steer them against targets he needed eliminated, or straight into traps if he deemed it necessary.

Even better, that mercenary Bane managed to get his hands on more than one Jedi Holocron. With that fool Bolla Ropal captured and the crystal secured, it was only a matter of "persuading" the Jedi Master or one of his brethren to unlock the data. That would give Sidious access to the most powerful Force sensitive children the Order knew about. By retrieving or disposing of them, he would strike another blow to the Jedi, one aimed at their very future.

Not that the fools had any.

That was the good news. As great as it were, it failed to make up for what had happened next. Yesterday, Sidious had almost died along with most of the Jedi on Coruscant.

That was a stunning revelation. The Force didn't warn him about any danger. The only thing he felt was the Light side in the Temple weakening, which he thought was due to the raid being more successful than his wildest dreams.

Instead, he had come close to being blown up by something called a Nexus Bomb. Sidious didn't recall ever hearing about it, but he would make sure by checking up his Sith archives. It was supposedly some kind of area denial weapon from the Great war, which used the Force as an energy source to charge a massive explosion. Or so the GAR believed. What made that part of the report even more interesting, was that Veil had confirmed it.

Ah, the Rogue. That strange man was becoming more and more interesting. Sidious would need to move soon and contact him with a proposition to join his side. Or kill him for being so troublesome.

Either way, that self styled Sith was becoming too dangerous to be left on his own devises.

But he could wait a bit. What Sidious wanted to know right now, is how one of his CIS pawns knew about that bomb under the Jedi Temple. Whoever that person was who almost got him killed, wasn't working alone.

First he was wounded during the attack on the Senate and now he almost died again. This was no coincidence. Someone within the CIS was attempting to get rid of him. The questions remained, who was to blame and whether he or they knew his true identity. Provided that Dooku wasn't to blame.

Sidious grimaced. He had to clean up house before he could continue building the foundations for his Galactic Empire.

That was the bright spot. Thanks to the recent attacks, pushing through the necessary laws had become much easier.

Palpatine continued reading the reports until something unusual caught his attention. It was about the infiltrators. The fact that they were Force Adepts with somewhat decent training was something he knew. He was also aware of the artifacts they used to conceal themselves. By the Force, he was wearing one similar to what they used, which helped hide the fact that he was a Force Adept. However, in his case, it was a contingency in case that for some reason he was unable to maintain the technique hiding his true face.

No, all those things were almost trivial. What surprised him was that those men and women had some substantial cybernetic augmentations. That, combined with the artifacts should have cut them from the Force, making them unable to use it. He frowned. Someone within the CIS had either made a breakthrough of had found a previously forgotten cache of knowledge to achieve that. And he learned about it in a GAR report of all things!

Sidious snarled and drew a secure comm device from the folds of his midnight black robes. Someone was going to pay for this!

**=RK=**

**Munificent Command Ship "Invisible Blade"****  
****Hyperspace**

Count Dooku glared at one of his most trusted agents from his command chair. The Chiss woman had her eyes lowered in shame. She was kneeling on the metal floor of the bridge, while the droids manning the consoles around her and her master paid them no attention.

"This is unacceptable!" declared the Sith Lord. "I expected much more from the leader of my Dark Acolytes," Dooku's voice rumbled through the bridge. "Sev'Rance, we didn't go to such lengths to fake your death, only for you to prove next to useless in this new role. You will explain this failure. NOW!" he snapped at the kneeling woman.

"My Lord, my investigation started after the first attacks on Coruscant... On the face of it, everything was simple. Or should have been so. In both cases, we got better information on the Republic military and security forces in the Capital System than the GAR itself. In hindsight it was too good to be true. As you know master, it was."

"But not in a way that either of us would have expected," muttered Dooku. Indeed, if the CIS forces attacking Coruscant had simply walked into a trap, he wouldn't have been so concerned. Minus the fact that in such a case he still would have been a prisoner to the Jedi.

"The plans for both attacks were altered while the forces were en route and sent to the commanders designated to execute the operations. The basics remained the same. Take the first series of attacks, the ones in which you were freed, Master."

"Extrapolate."

"The command staff in CIS Headquarters crafted the basic plan. An operation to capture the Chancellor and as many senators as possible. A spoiling attacks against few critical GAR bases, slowing down the enemy response. Finally, a direct action against the Jedi Temple in a secondary attempt to free you if Palpatine couldn't be persuaded to order your and Grievous' release."

"It worked. More or less. But the release of Blue Shadow on Coruscant dealt a heavy blow on our credibility. That's before a nerve agent was used at the Senate. Even killing so many of the Republic leadership won't make up for what we lost," growled Dooku.

"That's correct, master. The additions to the plan were added by parties unknown, using Council codes, though I was unable to confirm any treason on their parts. I scanned the minds of the suspects. They had no idea about any of this."

That bit of information caught the Count's attention. He had expected that some Councilors were playing their own game. By the Force, he knew that they were plotting. But, this mess not being their fault was a concern. It implied that there was a faction within the CIS he knew nothing about. A competent and dangerous one at that.

"I had two avenues of investigation open. First, one of my tech experts was able to locate the network hub from which the order alternations originated. Second, perhaps a more important clue was the intelligence we received from sources within the GAR. The forces that were used in the first attack on the Jedi Temple was what caught our attention."

Dooku gave her a grim nod.

"The Force using clones of my Dark Acolytes who spearheaded that assault, allowing a commando team to release me. They were led by a clone of you. One that the new Republic General, Veil, defeated and now has as an apprentice."

"This is correct, master. About which investigation should I speak first?"

"I want to know the origin of the altered orders."

"I started my hunt in the heart of the CIS Military Headquarters..."

**=RK=**

**General Valentra's office****  
****GAR Headquarters (Location Classified)****  
****Coruscant****  
**

"It is decided then," declared Ivon Fell, the civilian head of ONI.

"We know it's a trap," supplied Jack. The clone didn't relish sending his brethren in another meat-grinder, but sometimes it simply couldn't be helped.

"One we have to spring," said Veil.

"Indeed. We are offered a tempting bait. Those new factories on Geonosis can't be allowed to come online," added Director Yle. The new chief of SBI didn't like it any more than the rest of the people in the room.

The target was one that couldn't be left alone. Furthermore, the intelligence had come from a source within CIS none of the people present could confirm as one of their own. Yet the Chancellor considered the information to be gods' own gospel...

Under other circumstances, none of them would have it found too strange that Palpatine had his own private sources on the other side. After all, he was a politician with decades of experience on the galactic stage, with all the contacts that implied. But now, after the attacks on Coruscant, when the war was becoming something personal for the people of the Republic, not some distant conflict fought in the Outer Rim?

It made one think. The CIS Council had to see the writing on the wall. The Clone wars had become a conflict of survival. Simply put, the Separatists couldn't afford to lose, especially their leadership. All of them had a parsec long war crimes charges waiting for them in such a case. Both the surviving Senators and the masses wanted blood. So, why did one of Palpatine's friends feed the Republic this information, when if the CIS lost, even the Chancellor's growing influence might be unable to keep their necks off the chopping block?

After all, if it was the oldest motive, money and power, you needed to be alive and free to make use of them. Then again, it could be blackmail or something like that. Even someone who had a change of faith after the Spectre of the biological weaponry was released.

Nevertheless, Mark couldn't help but wonder. Something didn't feel right with that information. If he had to be fair to himself, there was something off with the whole war. He should know. He had access to more information about the conflict bar almost anyone in the galaxy. It was one of the questionable perks about his position as a Director of the SBI.

"Well, we'll be starting Angel Fall within the week," declared Valentra.

Everyone gave him a slight nod. It would be barely enough time to organize things in the critical locations of their organizations across the galaxy. However, the simple truth was that they could scarcely afford to wait even that long. The Republic was leaking intelligence on all fronts like a busted dam. Which in turn was the Rancor no one was willing to talk about so far.

"Let's cut to the chase, shall we?" asked General Veil.

Valentra smirked. It was about time.

"So, you want us to discuss the obvious, eh boss?" quipped Jack. "Finally..." he muttered.

It was Ivon who actually said it aloud.

"We all have some idea how badly the enemy agents had penetrated the Republic. That combined with the strategic advantage the CIS has until our economy is firmly on war footing and we can muster our clone armies with new recruits... We should have been military defeated in the first four to six months of the conflict."

There was grim silence after her declaration. If there was anyone who knew how true her words were, it were the people assembled in Valentra's office.

"The GAR and the Republic Navy, before it was folded under the army's umbrella for the duration of the conflict, simply didn't have the numbers to hold off the CIS. But some enemy's strategic decisions simply make no sense whatsoever, if they fought to win the war," said Veil.

The intelligence chiefs looked at him grimly. They all had read highly classified reports saying the same thing. There were too many instances where the enemy had been making disastrous decisions. Even more concerning, a lot of the analysts who had created those reports had been either reassigned or had suffered fatal "accidents". Then there were other cases where Republic forces were either ambushed and annihilated or simply placed in a position, which would insure long and hard campaign.

"You've seen the pattern," Yle deadpanned.

"Someone wants a protracted war," Valentra whispered with a venom in his voice. It was his boys and girls who were paying the price.

It was a simple sentence. Yet, it would have repercussions no one in the meeting could have imagined. Isn't it interesting, how just a few words could be the pebble that would one day cause an avalanche changing the whole galaxy...

**=RK=**

**Two Days earlier****  
****Security Center****  
****Jedi Temple**

One of the Clone technicians monitoring the various sensor feeds from within the Jedi Temple stumbled upon something interesting. A small sphere shaped drone, one of the hundreds patrolling the corridors of the vast building, passed near a group of Jedi Masters. To the Clone's surprise, Mace Windu was one of them. That fact by itself would have been more than enough to get his undivided attention, even if he wasn't one of General Veil's special operatives.

The Clone, who was going by the name of Ink, which went with his face designation, listened carefully what the Jedi discussed. They would meditate, hoping that the Force would lead them to the most threatened Jedi children. That made sense to the agent. He was made aware by his contacts what have been the point of the Holocron theft that occurred days prior. The CIS, or at least Dooku's agents now had access to the means to read the information on the names and locations of the all Force sensitive children across the galaxy that the Jedi knew about. Which was significant because the Order had lost contact with the Master who had that information on an encrypted crystal on his person.

Ink knew hot information when he stumbled upon it so he had redirected various sensors and security droids to rotate around and focus on the Jedi Masters in question. To his pleasant surprise, none of them thought that there was something wrong. So he was able to listen to them and find out the location of the kids that the CIS was likely to target from the Jedi's own lips. The agent wasted no time and at the first opportunity that presented itself, he transmitted the data to his superiors.

The information was in the hands of the General's special forces before the Jedi had made arrangements to go after the kids themselves.

**=RK=**

**Black Fleet Carrier "Dragon Claw"****  
****High Orbit over Yavin IV**

A second hand cruiser, which once belonged to the Republic Navy was hanging over a green moon, which in turn orbited a gas giant. That was the current flagship belonging to a clandestine military group answering to a certain Republic General.

On a deck outfitted as an intelligence gathering and processing section, a holocom message was received from a source on Coruscant. It was promptly scanned for any unwelcome surprises before being decrypted and read by an operative with sufficiently high clearance. Moments later, the Intel deck of the cruiser become a beehive of controlled chaos.

"Colonel, you need to see this!"

A man wearing gray uniform showing no sign of any insignia, looked up from a data pad from which he was reading. He was the Clone in charge of the steadily increasing, in both capacity and reach, black operations outfit created by his commanding officer.

"What is it, Operations?" he answered in a mellow voice, which was a bit unusual for one of the copies of Jango Fett.

"We have a confirmed Case Shallow Dream. We just got four locations. Glee Anselm, Rodia, Naboo and Onderon. The Jedi believed that the subject on Glee Anselm has been lost already."

"Naboo and Rodia. We don't have assets that can reach Onderon before the Jedi."

"We have at two units as a part of the blockade over Naboo. One of our Q-Ships should be able to reach Rodia before the Jedi."

"Good. Dispatch the teams. I want the colony below us to be up and running ASAP. It will be needed if we are able to get any of the kids. Is this all?"

"There is nothing else that can't wait for the briefing in three hours, Colonel."

"Carry on then."


	43. Chapter 17 Part 2

**AN: This part was betaed by the following people on the Space Battles forum: Rokoran!**** Thank you for the great work!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**Phase 17: Future Imperfect**

**=RK=**

**Part 2**

**Republic frigate "Keen Blade"**  
**High Orbit over Rodia**

A heavy Republic frigate blinked into existence, finishing a short hyperspace jump. The ship was squeaking a current Navy IFF, designating it as a part of the Deep Core reserve fleet. That much was true. On paper. In reality, the frigate was one of the few dozen "official" warships doing odd jobs for General Veil's black operations division.

"Keen Blade" had been returning from its latest mission, that of a glorified taxi for a bunch of clones testing some of the new toys cooked up by the R&amp;D division, when she and her crew received new orders. They were to secure a couple of VIPs on Rodia, which was only a couple of short jumps from the frigate's current location.

A few hours later, the warship arrived over the Rodian homeworld and launched a heavy shuttle escorted by a quartet of upgraded Torrents. Just in case something went wrong, the transport was carrying nine heavily armed and armored clones.

**=RK=**

**Republic Navy "Nomad" flight  
Rodia**

Sergeant Soap glanced over his men, who were looking at the droid strapped near the shuttle's cockpit. The robot was plugged into a tactical console surfing the Rodian Civilian holonet while they all waited for the machine to find some more information about their targets besides names and general location.

The NCO in charge of the retrieval team made a final check of his men equipment. His heavy gunners, Tank and Grunt, were clad in full armor, turning them into two meter tall juggernauts made of shields and composites. They were carrying rotary cannons and backpacks full with ammo.

Next was the demo expert. A crazy bastard calling himself Drake. The fella was wearing the same medium armor as the rest of his troops, resembling what the commandos were equipped with at the start of the conflict. The main difference were the crimson flames painted on the man's helmet.

Drake was hugging his grenade launcher, even petting the damn thing. Soap was almost sure that his somewhat disturbing soldier was whispering sweet nothings to the gun. He really didn't want to know. Besides, Drake was fiendishly good with everything that made bang, which made up for his quirks. The backpack chock full with exploding goodies for every situation helped out too.

Next were the pair of a sniper and spotter: Reaper and Farsight. Those two could wreak havoc on an enemy from kilometers away. Plus, neither of them had any disturbing habits, making them Soap's favorites.

Finally, the three "ordinary" grunts. First, Ghost, an infiltrator and close quarters combat specialist. He was a good man, but had the uncanny habit of stalking his teammates, "to hone his skills", or so he said. Ghost had nearly caused Soap a heart attack a few times.

There was Doc, the squad medic, who had a really morbid sense of humor, and last but not the least, Wes, an average grunt, who was still wondering how he ended up teamed up with those maniacs.

"Wee Dunn. Eleven months old Rodian. Lives with his single mother Mahtee Dunn in Kay-Tap square. Father deceased. No other living relatives on the planet."

Holographic emitters built into the shuttle's troop compartment came to life, showing a 3D map of a domed city and zooming in until a single small house was visible. A window opened next to the map, showing a smiling Rodian woman proudly holding a toddler.

"Those two are the VIP's we're after!" declared Soap. "The kid is the primary objective. We are to retrieve him, unharmed, at all costs. If practical, we should get the mother too. If by some miracle, this op goes without a hitch..." Soap waited for the chuckling to subside, "we're to just go there and take them into protective custody."

"Fat chance," muttered Doc.

"Indeed. We are never that lucky," deadpanned Tank.

Soap snorted. It was damn true. At least now they had some decent equipment at hand. For a moment he looked at the back of the shuttle remembering the banter of his men in the armory.

**=RK=**

**Flashback**

**Armory**  
**Republic Frigate "Keen Blade"**  
**Hyperspace**

Gear hobbled after his squad mates. He was going to make a final check up on their armor and equipment, hoping to avoid an accident like the one which nearly crippled him on their last mission.

"Drake, we are know how much you love the new launchers and want to have a love child with them, however, if you shoot again one of the Ion grenades danger close, even the improved armor won't save you!"

"Hey! Your armor was fine! The discharge barely scorched it! How was I supposed to know that the Ion grenades you were carrying were defective and would go off at the slightest discharge near you?!" exclaimed the demo expert.

"Idiot! If I was wearing the standard armor, my nervous system would be fired right now!"

"Next time take one of these babies and it won't matter," interjected Grunt, while gently patting the chest plate of his heavy armor.

"I'm the damn tech, not a walking tank! What the hell is wrong with you all?"

"Oh, chill off already!" exclaimed Ghost.

The infiltrator was checking up his brand new carbine and its under-slung grenade launcher. The weapon was much better than the standard gear used by the clones ever since the war started. It was more accurate, had different fire modes and hard points for mounting additional equipment.

"Sweet, isn't it? I can't wait to see how well it takes apart Droids. And people," muttered Doc.

"Who was the genius that made him a medic anyway?" Wes wondered aloud.

"I heard that kid."

"Kriff it all."

"Stow it soldiers. Doc, you won't be messing up with Wes, is that clear? And you, Drake! If you pull a stunt like that again you'll explaining to me why I shouldn't put your ass on report! Is. This. CLEAR?" Soap's voice silenced the banter of his maniacs.

'Why me?' wondered the NCO. What did he did to deserve serving with these lunatics under his command?

"Clear, sir! Though Grunt has a point. If we all wore the heavy armors, that incident wouldn't have hurt Gear. Those suits are sweet piece of work! They are shielded against Ion discharges! They even have motorized joints so we can carry even bigger guns and more ammo!" Tank spoke with a gleam in his eyes.

"That's right!" added Grunt. "And look at this armor! It can stop at least a couple of heavy blaster bolts!" he patted the chess plate of his suit.

"Yeah. I can't wait! Soon enough all of our brothers will have such gear and then the kriffing droids are going straight to the scrap heap!"

"That's nothing! I heard from one of the eggheads that all equipment we are testing is merely a stop gap until the exo-skeletons and power armor finish development!" added Reaper.

"Rediscover them you mean," said Gear. "I'm fairly sure that power armor and light exo-skeletons were used during the Great War few thousand years ago. It's a pity the Republic had lost all that tech."

"Show off," muttered Farsight.

"What? The man loves studying history in his copious free time. What's wrong with that?" Wes wondered aloud.  
**  
Flashback End**

**=RK=**

**Jag-Wa City  
Naboo**

"Easy job, you said. Protect a little girl. What could possibly go wrong? You had to say it, didn't you, Fixer?" grumbled Scorch as he ducked under a burst of fire.

Around the members of Delta Squad of the Republic Commandos, a once pristine city street was promptly becoming a slice of hell.

"More shooting, deal with Fixer's big mouth later!" shouted Scorch a moment before throwing a pair of thermal detonators.

The deadly spheres flew through the window of a nearby house, the current fire-base of a group of mercenaries. Second later, those men ceased to exist, along with most of the building they used as a shelter.

"That was a bit much, Scorch," chided their commander.

"No such thing as an overkill, Boss!" quipped the demo expert.

"Bloody jokers..." grunted a nearby clone wearing armor painted in black and gray.

The situation was FUBAR'd to hell and back. Three separate groups of Clones, sent to secure one little girl and her family until some Jedi arrived to retrieve them - it should have been a trivial exercise. Instead, the Republic troopers found themselves in a five sided running battle across the streets of Jag-Wa city.

First, the various Republic units coming for the kid. Second, some local resistance fighters who resented the blockade and partial occupation of Naboo, decided to throw a row. Then, the folks of a PMC, hired to boost security on the planet and relieve some of the pressure on the GAR ground forces, started shooting at _everyone_, hell bent on taking the kid too. And just to make everything even more fucked up, it turned out that a local criminal cartel had moved their stash of illegal goods near the kid's home after the blockade came into effect, so the damn criminals decided to join the party too.

Finally, a squad clad in featureless advanced armor, was making a beeline towards Delta squad's position and the VIPs they were desperately trying to keep alive, while systematically gunning down everything in their way.

**Part 3 Teaser**

**Kay-Tap Square City  
Rodia**

"Nomad" flight's Navy IFF cleared the assault shuttle for landing reasonably close to their target's house. The clones disembarked and headed to their designated positions. Reaper and Farsight went to a nearby tower which provided a good line of sight to the Dunn house. Ghost went ahead to scout, using the built in stealth features of his armor to vanish from sight.

A minute later, Soap led the rest of his team towards their target, created a show for the few passerby, who stared at the Republic troopers. You can say many things for the heavy armored duo, but inconspicuous they certainly were not.

Soon enough, Soap had in front of the Dunn's house, ringing the door bell, while Ghost was sneaking around the back in case of trouble. The sergeant could hear someone moving inside the house and coming closer. So the droid was right and the Dunn's were home.

He heard quiet beeping and the front door slid open. Soap's eyes widened when he saw a blaster pointing at his head. He had an instant to process the sight throw his body into motion, before the gun fired...


	44. Chapter 17 Part 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**AN: This part was betaed by Gatemaster on the Space Battles forums! Thank you very much!**

**Phase 17: Future Imperfect**

**=RK=**

**Part 3**

**Kay-Tap Square City  
Rodia  
**  
"Nomad" flight's Navy IFF cleared the assault shuttle for landing reasonably close to their target's house. The clones disembarked and headed to their designated positions. Reaper and Farsight went to a nearby tower, which provided a good line of sight to the Dunn house. Ghost went ahead to scout, using the built in stealth features of his armor to vanish from sight.

A minute later, Soap led the rest of his team towards their target, creating a show for a few pedestrians, who stared at the Republic troopers. You can say many things for the heavy armored duo of the squad, but inconspicuous they certainly were not.

Soon enough, Soap was in front of the Dunn house, ringing the door bell, while Ghost was sneaking around the back in case of trouble. The sergeant could hear someone moving inside the house and coming closer. So the droid was right and the Dunn's were home.

He heard quiet beeping and the front door slid open. Soap's eyes widened when he saw a blaster pointing at his head. He had an instant to process the sight and throw his body into motion, before the gun fired...

A ruby colored bolt of energy flew true, straight at Soap's helmet. The sergeant saw a flash of light an instant before he hit the ground. His training kicked in and he rolled away, clearing the line of fire.

Wes wasted no time on being surprised that a civilian woman shot his commander without provocation. He took aim and pressed the trigger. The grenade launcher slung under the barrel of his carbine thumped quietly. The female Rodian was struck in the chest by a stun round, neutralizing her by sending enough current into her body to knock her out twice over.

"Sweep the house and find the kid!" ordered Doc.

In the next moment, simultaneous explosions of multiple concussion grenades rattled the house. The clones moved in, sweeping for hostiles.

At the back Ghost was about to take out his slicing kit and start dealing with the locked door, when it slid open. A robed figure holding the toddler they were after was standing in the door frame.

"Contact back! I have eyes on the target!" Ghost sub-vocalized.

"Copy that."

Bane glared at a slight shimmer in the air in front of him. He made a punching motion with his free arm activating the blaster built in his arm guard. A hail of crimson shots shredded the sleeve of his robe and swept the backyard. Two blaster bolts slammed into an invisible figure, dissipating the stealth field.

The bounty hunter snarled. The clone he shot should be dead! Instead, the man shrugged off the impacts, taking them on an until then invisible shield. Bane was sure that he would have died at that moment if it wasn't for the kid he was holding. The Rodian boy was the only reason the damn clone didn't drill him with a burst of blaster fire then and there.

Instead, the infiltrator took careful aim while Bane continued shooting at the soldier. He didn't have much choice; even more troopers were storming through the building behind him. The bounty hunter needed to take care of the man blocking his way fast and leg it while he still could.

The shield deflected four more bolts before shattering and leaving the clone vulnerable. Bane cursed and shot again a moment before Ghost pressed the trigger himself. Red energy splashed over the clone's armor, gorging the composite. He stumbled back, throwing off his aim. A burst of blue fire grazed Bane's right shoulder, instead of turning it into bloody mist. The bounty hunter hissed in pain, but didn't let the wound slow him down.

The Duros darted forward and kicked Ghost in the chest before the clone could recover from the hits. The clone was thrown to his back, giving the mercenary the opening he was looking for.

That was all Bane needed and he didn't waste the opportunity. He activated the small rocket motors in his reinforced boots and flew up, heading straight for his fighter.

"One hostile is flying away with the VIP!" Ghost hissed in pain.

While his shield and armor tanked enough punishment to kill a few clones, he didn't get out unscratched. The shots, which connected with his chest and shoulders, while stopped by the tough composite, still scorched up a bit his flesh directly under the impact points. Still, while painful, it was much better than the alternative.

"Affirmative. I have him in my sights," Reaper said.

"I have eyes on the landing pad he's headed for," added Farsight.

"Take the shot once he lands but don't hit the kid!" Soap ordered. The sergeant was back on his feet and assisting his men in sweeping the house.

"Wilco," Reaper confirmed.

**=RK=**

Bane landed few meters from his brand new fighter, bending his knees to help absorb the impact. He was almost home free.

The bounty hunter stood up and took a step towards his ride off the giant swamp that was Rodia, when a sledgehammer struck him from behind. He stumbled forward, falling and spilling the kid, who hit the ground hard. Though Bane noticed none of that. All his attention was taken by the blinding pain in what used to be his right shoulder. A huge chunk of it was missing. Whatever hit him almost took off his right arm entirely.

Acting on instinct, he pressed his left hand on the seared wound where his shoulder used to be, making him scream in agony.

Then his training and experience kicked in. Somehow, Bane managed to fight his way through the pain and the shock, which was beginning to numb his body.

A sniper. It had to be.

For a moment he fancied the thought of trying to grab the kid and jump into his fighter. However, that feeble hope was immediately dashed when an azure blaster bolt blew a hole in the landing pad near his head.

Bane groaned. The message was clear. Do something dumb and you die. Still, he might have risked it, if it wasn't for the familiar whine of Ion engines. He carefully rolled to his back, hissing in pain at every little jolt and pull and looked up. Two pairs of what appeared to be meaner looking Torrent fighters were circling like vultures over the closest exit of the domed city.

With him wounded, Bane didn't have any illusions that he would be able to breach the atmosphere before those fighters shot him down. If the damn sniper didn't get him first that is.

"Caught by a bunch of clones. What a kriffing disgrace!" he muttered, waiting for the soldiers to reach him.

Nearby, the Rodian kid laid clutching a broken arm to his chest, wailing for his mother.

**=RK=**

**Jag-Wa City**  
**Naboo**

"QRF will be hire in five!" shouted the comm specialist of the platoon, which had accompanied Delta squad for the VIP extraction.

"We may not last that long!" grunted one of the clones in black and gray armor.

"Unfortunately, he's correct," added Fixer. The two squads wearing armor colored in the new pattern were an unexpected, but pleasant surprise once all hell broke loose.

"Trandosian heavies!" shouted a soldier moments before the distinctive sound of slugs screaming through the air made the cacophony of battle ever greater.

"How the hell did the locals miss someone like that?!" exclaimed the last member of Delta squad, who had taken position on a nearby balcony and was sniping the opposing forces.

If he was a lesser man, the sight of the pair of overgrown lizards, clad in crude yet fearsome armor and carrying rotary cannons, would have made him blanch. The Trandosians had appeared from a side street, missed by everyone until they opened fire on a group of Gungan rebels. Seconds later, the locals were simply gone, torn to bloody chunks by heavy slugs.

"They were either too busy playing rebel fighters or were outright bought," Scorch deadpanned.

"Won't surprise me," Boss agreed. "We need to pull out to a better position. Delta, we are keeping the VIPs safe. Targ platoon, start falling back by squads at my signal!"

"The folks in that fancy armor are tearing a new one on the PMCs. The traitors that are left on the right flank will be gone soon," said Delta's sniper.

He had a great view, allowing him to see how the strangers were taking apart the mercs, without really slowing down. They took the enemy fire on their shields and armor, and gunned down the PMC troopers like the scum they were.

"That's all and good, but we are next!" deadpanned one of the regular clones.

"Half of my people can't pull out without passing through those heavies' field of fire!" shouted Targ's Lieutenant.

"We'll deal with them. Just get your people out, now!" answered one of the men wearing the new paint pattern.

**=RK=**

A man armed with a heavy blaster blew apart the last mercenary in his way. Six figures clad in light power armor proceeded to annihilate a group of local rebels who had the misfortune to be in their way and fell on the next obstacle in their path – a squad of clones.

Corporal Hal had a nice view of the PMC flank. He watched as the mercs were torn asunder and knew that he and his men were next. The clone had positioned his troopers as well as their position allowed, though he was almost certain that it wouldn't be enough. His people were armed only with the standard load out, which was light weapons and some grenades. His only hope was that the few thermal detonators they had would be enough to stop the armored titans that were advancing towards their position.

It was not to be.

Heavy weapons roared, blaster carbines spat back in defiance. Thermal detonators and frag grenades flew in both directions. Hal hissed a curse when he saw the enemies move away from the immediate blast radius with speed that should have been impossible for someone who carries that much weaponry and armor.

Bright flashes robbed him from his sight for couple of seconds. When he could see again, Hal groaned. Half his men were down. As far as he could see, the horrors who were slaughtering any opposition in their path were still unscratched.

He could hear them coming closer.

A figure in gray armor appeared before Hal and he pressed the trigger of his gun. Heavy weapons spoke aloud, answered by blaster carbines.

For a moment, that little corner of the battlefield grew quiet.

The half vaporized body of Hal fell to the ground in a smoking heap of seared flesh and melted armor.

"I have the target. She is hundred and twenty meters north east from here," announced a mechanically distorted voice.

"Good. We are going in," the man leading the unknown black ops unit ordered. "Five and six, hit the clone platoon and buy us some time. The rest are with me."

**=RK=**

Clone sergeant Sol shot a rebel in the back and ducked back behind a half demolished wall. A simple babysitting task. Riiight...

"Lorne, Zed, flank the bastards! Well keep their attention occupied!" the NCO ordered.

Those two nodded and darted into a nearby half-demolished building, leaving the rest of their squad to deal with the two heavies.

Sol winced when one of the Trandosians concentrated on his hiding place. The sound of bullets chewing up the low wall he was using as a cover dug into his brain.

"Concussion and smoke grenades on my signal!" the Sergeant ordered in the squad net. He made a sharp signal and grenades were thrown at the slowly advancing lizards.

Seconds later, he was shaken by a series of danger-close explosions. A spread of thermal detonators had detonated, engulfing the enemy heavy troopers in a wave of scorching fire.

Sol carefully looked over his cover, just in time to see the melted and twisted remains of a rotary cannon crash on the debris covered street. There was no further sight of the two Trandosians.

From the pair he sent, only a hobbling Zed returned.

**=RK=**

"Fixer, cover the VIPs! Me and Scorch will provide you with cover. Go!" ordered Boss.

His subordinate grabbed the Gungan woman and dragged her and the toddler away. A sniper cracked above them, providing additional suppressive fire.

Meanwhile, squads of clones were leap-frogging backwards, in an attempt to disengage from worst of the fighting. They were moderately successful, thanks to the low level of training that most of their opponents had.

The biggest snag came when a heavily armed pair in power armor flanked the clones at the front. That stopped the attempted withdraw cold, while some of the Republic troopers tried to aid their comrades.

"Boss, hostiles on top of your position!" Sev shouted.

"Get down!" ordered the commander.

It wasn't a moment too soon. The whole front of a nearby building exploded in a rain of debris and blaster fire. Three clones from Targ platoon were too close and were torn apart. The rest of their squad followed suit moments later, however their sacrifice bought enough time for the rest of their platoon and Delta to react.

Boss rolled behind a nearby aircar, while Scorch took cover around the nearest corner.

"They might be a problem..." muttered the demo expert when he saw who exactly was attacking them.

Three men and a woman clad in what suspiciously looked like a working power armor. Each of them was carrying some kind of heavy energy weapon.

"They have shields too," added Sev. He could clearly see how a clone in standard white armor was shooting at the new threat, only for his blaster bolts to be harmlessly absorbed by a form fitting bluish field.

"That's bullshit..." whispered Boss.


	45. Chapter 17 Part 4

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 17: Future Imperfect**

**Part 4**

**Jag-Wa City  
Naboo**

Sev reloaded his sniper rifle and took aim. Below him, the group of power armored enemies made no attempt to seek cover, making them easy targets. However, it didn't really matter. Their shields made the defenses of the droideka's look insignificant in comparison.

The sniper took a deep breath and gently squeezed the trigger. The weapon in his arms buckled, hitting his shoulder painfully despite the anti-recoil systems built in his gun. A green pulse of concentrated energy struck Sev's target, splashing over azure shield. Nevertheless, the sheer power of the hit staggered the man despite his power armor.

Sev wasted no time. He re-acquired his target and pressed the trigger again and again. The second shot shattered the man's shields. The third struck him in the head, couple of centimeters above his left eye socket. The helmet cracked under the tremendous stress. Its outer layer ablated in an attempt to disperse most of the hit's energy. If it wasn't for the armor's design it would have ended then and there, no matter what else the shot did. Its sheer kinetic energy should have snapped the man's neck, but the armor locked in place saving him from that fate.

However, he didn't get away unscratched. While the power armor deflected or absorbed most of the sniper's shot energy, it couldn't negate all of it. The man crumbled to the ground with cracked skull and massive concussion, taking him out of the battle.

Moment after pressing the trigger for the third time, Sev whirled around and left the balcony he used as a vantage point. He didn't wait to see what his shots did.

As it turned out it was the prudent thing to do. Two of the power armored enemies had detected his positions. They raised their heavy weapons and unleashed a hail of laser bolts and plasma upon the house where the commando disappeared.

The building materials, which the locals used proved little deterrence to the firepower unleashed onto the house. Its facade crumbled as if made of sand, while spears of energy ravaged the building's interior. Sev hissed a curse when the floor disappeared under his feet. He waved his arms, desperately trying to catch something stable. His hands clamped on a jagged piece of floor, which remained whole and attached to a nearby wall, stopping himself from falling two floors down.

The commando tried to climb up when a bolt of plasma passed him by a hair breadth. His shields overloaded and he shouted in pain as his back was seared red despite his backpack and all the equipment in it. Another close miss scalded his left hand, which convulsed in pain.

In the next instant, Sev found himself falling down, with the remains of the floor collapsing over him.

**=RK=**

Down on the street, the remaining members of Delta squad were frantically modding their DC-17 blasters. The versatile weapon's system was the only chance they saw against the juggernauts advancing against them.

Scorch was the first to finish refurbishing his carbine into its grenade launcher variant. He only hopped that the limited amount of ammo each of his brothers carried would be enough.

The demo expert leaned around the street corner behind which he was taking cover, took aim and shot at the closest enemy. The armored behemoth was only ten meters away and thankfully, he wasn't looking in the commando's direction. The AP grenade came as a nasty surprise for the enemy combatant. It detonated against his shields, blowing him half a meter back.

Scorch watched his target intently, while his left hand went to his harness to retrieve another grenade. However, the commando didn't have time to reload. He saw another one of the power armored assailants turn his way. A man portable cannon turned his way and Scorch darted back behind the corner. He sprinted down the side street and dived forward. A moment later, the corner of the house behind which he hid blew apart under heavy blaster fire. The blast wave shattered his shields, while various pieces of debris bombarded him, bouncing off his armor.

Meanwhile, Fixer was ushering the Gungan female and her kid down the boulevard, while he himself was moving backwards and sending his limited supply of grenades at the heavily armored strangers. Near misses battered their shields, yet they were undeterred. Fixers knew that the only reason he was still alive, was because he was close to the VIPs and the power armored soldiers wanted them alive.

Boss sent a grenade in the gut of the man who Scorch attacked, putting him down once and for all. Second later he found himself flying backwards. A burst of heavy blaster fire blew up the air car he used for cover, sending him tumbling through the air. If it wasn't for his shields tanking the brunt of the shock-wave, he would have died then and there. As it was, Delta squad's commander flew through the shattered front of a nearby shop and landed on a vegetable stand. He remained conscious long enough to feel pain spreading throughout his abused body.

Fixer's last AP grenade blew up a mere meter from the only woman in the quartet attacking them. Her shield vanished with a blue tinted flash and she was thrown to her left and fell through a shot up wall.

That left the commando to deal with the last of the power armored men... without anything that could hurt the kriffing bastard.

"Run!" Fixer shouted to his charges. He left his DC-17 fall to the ground, not bothering to try returning it into its blaster mod. The commando didn't have the time for that.

Instead, he drew his pistol, hopping to distract the behemoth for few more moments. With any luck, the VIPs would be able to evade any pursuit for few minutes, until the reinforcements got there.

Fixer managed to press the trigger four times before his enemy was able to aim his heavy weapon. He was in the middle of the street, too far from any cover that could resist the firepower he was facing. The commando sent one last blaster bolt at his nemesis, while waiting for the inevitable.

**=RK=**

**Abandoned mining station  
Mustafar**

"This is all? Only two kids?!" Sidious' hologram sneered.

The two droids tending to the kidnapped children decided to keep quiet and not provoke the Sith Lord. He had expected at least four potential minions, besides the unexpected boon that was Galen Marek. However, the Jedi's reaction had been lighting fast. Unexpected even!

Who would have thought that the damn fossils on the Council would have called the GAR for help instead of sending their own? So instead of Jedi scrambling to reach the targeted kids, the initial response has been from the nearest units of the Republic army. Further, Bane had been able to retrieve only one child, the boy from Onderon, before he went missing on Rodia.

Sidious closed his eyes and concentrated. The shadow in the Force continued blocking his sight, yet despite that he could sense that it was unlikely that he would get any more children from the list. Whatever. Those two would have to do...

"Commence with the operation!" he ordered the droids.

"Master, with subjects at this age, the procedure has over fifty percent mortality rate!" declared one of the machines.

"At least one of them will make it. That would be sufficient. Proceed!" Sidious snapped. Lately his patience had been growing increasingly thin.

"As you command!" both droids answered in unison.

One of the kids caught Sidious' eyes. It was the unlucky one, whose parents tried and failed to avoid the Order's scrutiny and by extension, that of his own agents.

"Galen Marek. I sense... interesting future in front of you, my boy. I wonder what would have you done with yourself, if you remained out of my reach?"

The toddler looked at his transparent projection and waved, sending a bit of Force with his gesture.

The Sith Lord chuckled. The kid was strong. Given enough time, he might make a powerful agent.

Soon enough the operation began and agonized screams replaced the children's curiosity. By the time the Jedi could pinpoint the source of their suffering through the Force, the kids would be gone without a trace. Because once they were done, the droids packed their charges on a waiting transport and shut down the shields keeping the mining station protected from the lava river over which it was built.

**=RK=**

**Jag-Wa City  
Naboo**

Fixer's visor darkened an instant before he was thrown off his feet by an overpressure wave. If it wasn't for the sound dampeners built in his helmet he was sure he would be deaf right now.

When he could see again, a large section of the street where the power armored bastard was standing, was simply gone along with what had left of the facades of the nearby buildings. The ground under him shuddered again and again as heavy weaponry unleashed its fury upon the defenseless city.

"I love air support!" Scorch shouted in the squad's net.

Fixer shook his head and glanced up. There was no sight of friendly craft... besides stilettos of blue and green light, which touched various parts of the city from the sky. The commando grinned. So much for the damn power armor! It won't do much for the kriffing bastards, while the Republic had uncontested air superiority over the city!

"Delta squad, sound off!" Fixer ordered. This wasn't the time to watch the fireworks. They still had a job to do.

"I'm alive!" declared Scorch.

The demo expert's words were followed by conspicuous silence.

"Damn it! Boss? Sev? You two alive?" Fixer asked.

"I have eyes on Boss. He looks banged up, but I think he's alive!" said Scorch. "No sight of Sev."

"Take care of him and search for Sev. I'll get the VIPs out of here."

**=RK=**

"All Strike elements, sound off!" a female voice growled on the power armored commandos net.

The only reason she was still alive was because of that AP grenade, which threw her through a wall, thus keeping her out of sight of the enemy air support. Strike One, their unit's nominal commander wasn't that lucky. She saw him being blown to tiny pieces by a fighter's laser cannon.

"This is Five. I'm still alive. Orders?"

"The mission is a bust. We are getting out of here. Exit three."

"Wilco, Two. See you on the other side."

The woman with call sign Two, who when off duty was known as Lieutenant Romelia Vance, checked the mini map on her HUD display. The IFF markers of all but two of her Unit were silent. Only Three and Five could be seen. Though she was unsure if Three was still alive after being shot in the head by that damn sniper. Granted, their armor was tough, but that was a bit beyond what it was usually rated against.

She closed her eyes for a moment. Many of her friends had just died on this ill-advised op. She wondered who was the idiot that conceived and approved it. Romelia would love to have a little "chat" with that person.

If she made it out in one piece, which was her priority right now.

She needed to keep out of the streets or risk being nailed by the enemy air assets. That's why after checking her map for the second time, Two charged through the walls of the house in which she had ended.

Luckily, most of the surviving clones were too busy tending for their wounded as well as the civilians caught in the cross fire. That or shooting up the remains of the fools that made this ill thought op into a five sided fight.

Moments later, Vance had to dart across a side alley. Once she reached the end of her cover she glanced up. Smoke and soot obscured the sky, but that wouldn't be too big a problem for the enemy fighters. Without anything resembling decent ECM active in the city, the Republic air assets didn't have to rely on visual targeting or struggle with degraded sensors.

She dashed through the alley and plunged through the wall of the closest building on the other side. Then through second and third wall. All thanks to a barrage of laser bolts, which lit up the house he just left, blowing it up sky high.

If it wasn't for her armor, Two would be on the ground, dying from multiple internal contusions. Instead, she only felt like on big, tender bruise.

Romelia groaned and picked herself up. She glanced at the map and allowed herself to feel a bit of hope. She was almost there! She demolished her way through another row of houses and smiled. In front of her were houses built onto the river bisecting the city. Around the buildings she could see multiple places where the river could be accessed by the locals.

Vance wasted no more time and sprinted forward. She jumped and plunged into the water, letting the weight of her armor to drag her down. She checked her map and activated the built in thrusters of her outfit, heading towards a stealth submarine, which was waiting for the survivors of Strike One. Once inside, she sent a series of scrambled codes towards the armors of her fallen comrades.

**=RK=**

Three, was unlucky. It looked like that the surviving clones and various other enemies, had decided to make their life's mission to get him. Every time the commando thought that he broke contact, he ran straight into another armed group. Republic troopers, mercenaries, outlaws even what appeared to be rebels... It was a bloody madness!

An enemy fighter strafed the street where he was moments ago, demolishing the fronts of all nearby buildings. Three ran through someone's living room, only to find himself face to face with a pair of Duros wielding blaster pistols. They stared at him for a moment, before raising their weapons. The commando decided not to waste ammo on them and without slowing down, he simply bludgeoned the pair with the barrel of his blaster cannon.

Three darted out of the building a second before it was disintegrated by an air strike. The shock wave picked him up and hurled his armored form down a nearby street. All the while he somehow remained conscious, though dazzled. The commando idly noted that the clones were really pissed off, because they were demolishing the city without carrying about collateral damage in order to get him. Though the presence of rebels in the settlement might have had something to do with that...

Some time later, Three shook himself. He was laying on an open street with no convenient cover in sight. A bunch of LAATs were heading in his direction. His armor was warning him that he was locked on by multiple targeting sensors.

He glanced around. There was no sight of his weapon, though it wasn't a big loss. If he tried something, the weapons mounted on those assault transports would cut him to ribbons, power armor or not.

"Two, won't make it. Leave ASAP!" he muttered in Strike One's net.

"Affirmative," his friend whispered in her comm.

Three returned his attention to the enemy gunships. A pair floated couple of hundred meters away, pointing all their weapons in his direction, while behind them, transports were unloading squads of clones.

He sneered at the Republic's soldiers of choice. The damn clones were a disgrace!

Three sent a series of commands through his implants. A moment later, crimson warnings obscured his vision, covering most of his HUD.

"For the True Republic!" he whispered.

Two almost simultaneous explosions shook Jag-Wa, marking the self immolation of the fallen Strike One.

When the dust settled, the Republic search parties would be able to recover only one heavily damaged power armor, in which the self destruct mechanism had failed.

**=RK=**

General Valentra's Office  
GAR Headquarters / location classified/  
Coruscant

"Now, that we've finished with most present matters..." Valentra trailed off, while looking at a data pad. "Can someone tell me, who exactly deployed working prototypes of power armor against our forces on Naboo earlier today?"

"Unknown. Our own R&amp;D is at least few months away from testing the prototypes. At least the exo-skeletons are ready for field testing and should work as a stop-gap measure if we face power armor in numbers before our own is ready," the Director of SIB.

"Did we recover at least one of those suits?" asked Veil.

"One. Heavily damaged. It will be dispatched for Coruscant at first opportunity."

"With a strong escort, I hope," the Director of ONI added.

"That goes without saying," Valentra confirmed.

"Now on another topic, I understand that you'll be visiting Corellia soon, General Veil?" Ivon inquired.

"That's the plan. I'll be heading there once the Jedi Council gets around to Windu's trial."

Most people in the room winced at the mention of the Jedi Master's name. His stunts had come close to starting a civil war between the Jedi and the Republic armed forces. Who in turn weren't thrilled that a high ranked Jedi tried to arrest their acting commander in chief during a crisis. Without a cause to make the mess even bigger.

Needless to say, the outcome of the impending trial was something in which certain circles within the Republic military and civilian leadership were very interesting. One of the many reasons why, was that it had the potential to heal (or make almost unbridgeable) the growing rift between many of the Jedi Generals and the Republic soldiers.

The Intel chiefs looked at each other.

"General, while on Corellia, we would like you to inquire about certain matters with the system's leadership, and Senator Bel Iblis in particular..."

"Indeed?" asked the General. They had his undivided attention.


	46. Interlude: Showcasing Equipment, Part 1

****AN: This was betaed by **Dragon Force Ranger Red** ****on the Space Battles forums! Thank you for the splendid work!****

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it**

**Interlude : Showcasing Equipment, Part 1**

**=RK=**

**Republic R&amp;D Centre**  
**Location Classified**  
**Coruscant**

_**Login: Star Snatcher**_  
_**Password: ****************_

_**Login Successful**_  
_**Browsing files...**_  
_**R&amp;D New Equipment Presentation (work in progress) selected...**_  
_**Access Granted...**_  
_**Playing file...**_

A schematic of "BR-1 Hailstorm" floats in a holo-tank display. The rifle is modded with under-slung grenade launcher as well as reflex sight in case the uplink to a clone's HUD display is down.

_"__As you can see, the replacement for the standard blaster carbine used by our troopers is at hand. The Hailstorm is ten percent more accurate..."_

A line of clones could be seen, taking aim at a modified firing range. Suddenly the light dims and dozens of holographic targets appears. They start moving erratically, more often than not hiding behind cover strewn all over the range. A moment later, the targets start blinking out of existence, reaped by accurate burst of blaster fire.

_"__Nevertheless, that particular asset of our new weapon is of secondary value, no matter how useful. Considering the toughness of the CIS Super Battle Droids, we deem that the next feature of the BR-1 is of a paramount importance. The Hailstorm is twenty five percent deadlier than its predecessor, making it an ideal tool to deal with the soulless hordes of the Confederation."_

A clone trooper appears in the holo-tank. The view angle changes to reveal that he is facing a Super Battle Droid. The soldier takes aim and sends a single tri-shot burst at the machine's chest plating. The metal plate boils at the points of impact instant before disintegrating, thus allowing the third blaster shot to pass unimpeded into the war droid's innards.

_"__Another great feature of the Hailstorm is that each rifle is designed to work seamlessly with a multipurpose grenade launcher. The "Grendel" itself is a superb piece of Republic engineering and know how. It could fire one of two dozen types of grenades. From the standard and loved Fragmentation, to the ever useful High Explosive, to anti-personnel rounds containing mono-molecular edged flechettes, stun and Ion rounds as well as various other munition types which would suit any situation the modern soldier could find himself in."_

A room full with mannequins of Geonosian natives appears in the holo-tank. A muted thump could be heard a second later. Then the room explodes in a eye-watering fire storm.

The image changes to another group of the insect like beings. This time they are shredded by a storm metal shards.

_"__Naturally, the BR-1, no matter how good it is, is not fit for every situation. Next I want to present you the SR-3 'Reaper', multi purpose sniper rifle. With few easy tweaks, this piece of deadly technology could be modded to fit different mission parameters. From anti-material work-"_

The view changes again, showing a standard CIS APC moving over a rocky road. Kilometres of empty tundra could be seen on both sides of the third rate motorway.

Suddenly, the armoured transport is hit. A puff of vaporized metal appears on its left side. An instant later, the APC shudders and goes out of control before going into the ditch flanking the route.

_"__to a precise anti-personnel system."_

This time, the image is not staged. It shows a Duros clad in long coat, arriving on a landing pad, where an advanced looking starfighter awaits him. When the man reaches the ground he is struck by invisible force, which takes a huge chunk from his shoulder.

_"__As the latest, gruesome display shows, no one is really safe on a modern battlefield. That's why, we made sure to give our boys and girls the best possible chance of survival! I want to present you our newest series of armours! Please keep in mind, that no matter how good they are, those outfits are only a stepping stone for our true goal – effective combat exoskeletons and power armours."_

The next image is a suit of armor, similar to that worn by the Clone Commandos. The only apparent differenced is that the new armor is a centimetre or so thicker.

_"__As you can see, the new medium armor Mark II is not very different from what we outfit our special forces with. At least in appearance. However, the Mark II is a different beast. First, it's made from a new composite, which gives it almost two and half times better protection against both energy and kinetic impact. Second, the Mark II has integrated shield generator, which not only doesn't need a backpack to carry, but it releases orders of magnitude less harmful radiation!"_

A mannequin clad in said armor could be seen. It tanks the fire of six clones armed with the old type of carbines, for couple of seconds, before the shields are depleted. Then, the strength of the composite is truly shown, when the unshielded armor takes enough punishment to decimate a squad worth of soldiers before its breached.

_"__When the going gets tough, our troopers need to break out the heavy weapons. For such instances, we designed the Juggernaut Heavy armor. As you can see, it somewhat resembles the Medium Mark II, all the while it provides protection close to a light vehicle. The trooper's strength and battlefield endurance are vastly increased thanks to motorized joins, which not only take off a lot of pressure from a soldier's body, but allows the use of heavy weapons with ease! Further, the Juggernaut, integrates much more powerful shields and can carry various other equipment. For example, a portable Jammer, AA or AT missile pack, high-powered comm equipment..."_

The next image shows a two meters tall behemoth of gleaming metal. He carries a heavy laser cannon. He has a backpack with two vertically launched AA missiles.

_"__Next, something for our scouts. The Ghost Armor. It is lighter than the Mark II, though it features the same shield system. What makes this outfit a unique piece of equipment, is its purpose. Thanks to built-in sound dampeners and thermo-optic camouflage field, the Ghost Armor renders its wearer virtually invisible!"_

A soldier in a slimmer, form fitting armor is shown. Then he vanishes leaving a barely visible haze behind. Moments later it's gone too, leaving no sight of the man.

_"__Finally, we come to our crown achievement so far! The 'Raptor' 01 prototype! This is our first working variant of a combat exoskeleton ready for field testing! It features..."_

**_Logging off..._**


	47. Chapter 18 Part 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**AN: This part was betaed by Mighty Bob on the Spacebattles forums. Thank you for the great work!**

**=RK=**

**Phase 18: Political Manoeuvres**

**Part 1**

**Council Chambers**

**Jedi Temple**

**Coruscant**

Good and Evil. No matter what some say, the very concept is subjective. One being's Angel could very well be another's Devil. It's all about one's morals. A being's individual perception of the outside world. That and the perception of the society in which you live. In a future that won't be, Vader said it best. From his point of view the Jedi were the evil ones, while Obi-Wan naturally thought otherwise. In essence, that was why we were gathered in the Jedi Council's Chambers. The Masters were about to render Judgement on one of their own... and on me, though no one was saying aloud that dirty little secret.

Finally, it was time for Windu's trial. The most powerful and wise of the Jedi were about to decide whether Mace acted as overzealous fool during the first attack on the Temple, one who came very close to treason against the Republic. Or if he was right and I am an embodiment of the very Evil the Order was formed to vanquish.

I looked around, trying to keep a shit-eating grin from appearing on my face. Despite the vocal protests of some Jedi, the trial was going to be public. Even better, it was going to be transmitted live throughout the galaxy. On the downside, besides few floating camera droids and the Jedi Council only few outsiders were permitted in this "hallowed" place. The first kind were the representatives of the Senate, which were Senators Padme Amidala and Bail Organa. When I tried to find out how much political capital those two spent to get the positions, I was impressed. Let's just say that it was a considerable amount.

But enough about the Senators. I was much more interested in the second kind of blokes let in. After all, I was one of them.

Needless to say, those were the GAR representatives, made up by Valentra and myself. We had arrived escorted by teams of clones, who were pointedly heavily armed and armoured. That stunt, which was liable to piss off many Jedi, would have an impact on the public which saw us thanks to the running cameras floating around. They would reach their own conclusions.

If someone had failed to figure it out, the trial had many purposes, with Mace's prosecution about the actual laws he might or might not had broken being rather down the priority list.

First, it was a publicity stunt. That was obvious to the most of the civilized galaxy.

Second, the Jedi Council had to make a political decision. A monumental one, which one way or another would change the Order. Ironically, no matter what they did, this trial could easily lead to fracturing within their ranks that might be impossible to mend. Even without Palpy and me acting according to our own agendas... But I digress.

I am a Sith. A well known one, whose, let's say "religion", was becoming something of a public secret. At best. At worst everyone and their third cousin, twice removed knew it. Even if technically I wasn't from the type of Sith who were outlawed in the legal nightmare that were the Republic's law books. So as far as the Jedi should be concerned, I should be the enemy they had trained to fight for the last thousand years, right?

That was the snag. I was also a well known person, who was even rather popular with the Republic citizens. A competent general, a war hero to boot, who was being called the Saviour of Ryloth lately... One wouldn't be surprised to know that after the last few months of the war, I was better liked and respected than but a handful of Jedi. As important was the fact that a lot of the surviving crop of Senators believed that my intervention during the Senate Siege was the only reason they were still in one piece. More or less.

Then, there was Mace Windu. A great bloke, who had managed to piss off the whole GAR, a baaad thing in the current political climate. During the massive CIS offensive that came perilously close to winning the war for the bastards, every one important knew that it was only thanks to the tremendous sacrifices of the armed forces, both Clones and ordinary people alike, that the line was held and the Republic was still in the game. So right now the GAR was getting everything we wanted and then some more.

To say that the Jedi Council was under tremendous pressure to just throw Windu under the Airbus and wash their hands of him, was a hilarious understatement.

Amusingly enough, they would have done just that under different circumstances.

Nevertheless, there was one snag with that course of action. Doing so would be admitting to themselves that I wasn't the Evil Sith TM out to Conquer the Galaxy, slaughter the Jedi and corrupt everyone in sight, and not necessary in that order. Which would piss off the conservative fraction of the Order, who were supporting Windu while believing that I must be stopped at all cost. To make things worse for the Council, that was not an insignificant number of the Jedi at large. The only reason I hadn't had more confrontations like that with Windu was that the Jedi were spread thin across the galaxy.

On the other hand, there was an increasing and influential minority of men and women within the Order who were at least neutral towards me if not downright friendly. Obi-Wan, Shaak Ti, Alaya Secura, Plo Koon, just to name a few. Not to mention, their own Chosen One, to whom I was slowly becoming a mentor...

**=RK=**

The doors of the Council Chambers slid open again, halting my train of thought. Master Yoda slowly walked in, followed by the towering figure of Ki-Ady Mundy. The Grandmaster's cane was clattering ominously on the metal floor in step with his ponderous gait. Once the tiny Jedi Master made his way to his chair, he sat down and looked around. His eyes stopped on Valentra and me for a moment, and he hummed with something that resembled disappointment. He obviously wasn't amused by the stunt we pulled out with our heavy guard detail.

Yoda pointedly paid no attention to the cameras floating around like a bunch of overgrown insects and started speaking in a calm, almost bored tone.

"Gathered today we are, one of our own to Judge," he came straight to the point, without wasting any time. "Mace Windu, brought in will be," Yoda ordered.

Moments later the doors hissed open again, revealing two faceless masks. They belonged to a pair of Temple Guardians, escorting the Jedi Master in. Windu strode in, clad in simple brow robes. I would give him that, he had an aura of power around him. To the ordinary spectator he would appear sure in the outcome of the trial. There was no sign of worry or apprehension in the way he was carrying himself. As if he wasn't the one on trial today.

Perhaps it was an act. Or he simply believed strongly enough in his cause, knowing deep within his heart that it was a just one, the right one.

When Mace was in the centre of the chamber, surrounded by a quartet of guards, the show really started.

"Mace Windu, you stand accused of grave misconduct..." Ki-Ady Mundy started speaking. "...unbecoming of one bearing the rank of Jedi Master."

Despite their steel discipline, the clones surrounding Valentra and myself stirred. To the left, my fellow general scowled.

Meanwhile, the Jedi Masters were giving each other cryptic looks.

"And attempted treason..." Plo Koon added in a rasping voice.

I could sense the surrounding clones calming down, glad that the Jedi, who still were the bulk of their highest ranking commanding officers, didn't just betray them out of hand by ignoring Windu's near treason. As for myself, I had to suppress a grin. The game was finally afoot.

"How do you plead?" asked Kenobi.

Obi-Wan looked calm, almost serene – the epitome of a Jedi Master. However, for someone who actually knew the man, like myself, it was obviously that he was on edge. Kenobi knew better than most what was at stake during this trial.

Windu looked each of the Jedi Masters in the eyes for few moments.

"If doing my duty, protecting the Citizens of the Republic and my fellow Jedi from the very threat this Order was formed to combat is counted as Treason today, then I plead guilty!" Mace's voice thundered around the chamber.

Suddenly it was quiet. Deafeningly so. The Force was shifting wildly around us, like a nervous animal. It was bidding its time, waiting.

It was a whisper, almost beyond one's capacity to hear... It was a promise for boundless possibilities... And it was all centred around Mace Windu.

I blinked, my eyes widening in understanding, something mirrored by some Jedi Masters. In this Force saturated place, we were able to perceive the edge of an ability one must be born with. A gift Mace had.

We were sensing the outer edges of a Shatterpoint. One concentrated on the trial we were participating in. Windu could see it, perceive it's very nature in a way none of us ever could.

He could influence it, and the accused Jedi Master was doing it right now.

"Tell me, my friends, since when is it a crime to arrest a Sith?! Since when is forbidden to do one's best to stop an enemy in our very midst who is subtly gaining more and more power?"

More than a third of the Jedi Masters were nodding in unison with his words, clearly agreeing. Another group, almost as numerous were displeased by what he was saying. The two main camps within the Jedi Order were revealed within seconds of the trial's start. It was also clear that the outcome, whatever it was going to be, would be decided by those who were more or less neutral on the issue.

Just as I knew it would be the case.

"This enemy you speak of..." a human Jedi Master I was unfamiliar with asked.

Windu turned his head towards me. I could see a gleam of triumph in his eyes. He pointed an accusing finger at my chest.

"Darth Delkatar Veil, a Dark Lord of the Sith! One who had wormed his way into the very heart of the Republic Armed forces! A position where he could cause untold harm once he shows his true colours for everyone to see!"

"Indeed?" I asked, raising an inquisitive eyebrow his way. I was pleased to feel that the Clones present in the room bristled at the accusation. I looked the Jedi Master straight in the eyes... and that was a mistake...

There was a tremor in the Force. It shook me, nearly throwing me flat on my back.

**=RK=**

To be Mace Windu at that moment, was akin to being a rock amidst angry white rapids. A redoubt in the centre of monstrous storm. The Jedi Master was beginning to comprehend that his attempt to influence the Shatterpoint that was his trial might have been a mistake. Somehow he was able to perceive glimpses of myriad futures, all passing by like speeding starships, all too fast to properly perceive. Some lighter, yet he sensed that the majority were much darker than the present he existed in.

Mace frowned. His ability to interact with Shatterpoints wasn't supposed to work like that. At least in his experience. After all, he wasn't so arrogant as to assume that he knew everything about that skill.

Then he felt a presence. An inhuman one, vast and powerful beyond belief. Somehow he had gained its attention. Windu felt amusement, followed by a brief spell of clarity in the jumbled train of visions he was experiencing.

He saw a hunched figure, cloaked by heavy black robes sitting on a throne engulfed by shadows... One that was possibly the most powerful Force user he had ever sensed... and that one was definitely not an adherent of the Light side.

Then the image jumped again.

Windu was floating within crimson void, thick like a sticky syrup. It took him moments to comprehend that he was within someone's Rage given form and substance. He could barely perceive a monstrous helmet made of black gleaming metal, before being engulfed by malevolence, pain hatred and regret mixed in a potent and deadly cocktail by someone fallen to the Dark Side... Yet, there was something familiar in the Force signature associated in that vision. The Jedi master just knew it was about someone he knew for years or more, however he simply couldn't place a name to his feelings. The Force signature of that person was simply that distorted... or cloaked by the entity allowing him to see a glimpse of a possible future.

Another shift. He was floating over the Temple's great hall. Which was filled with fire, smoke and the screams of the dying. His fellow Jedi were locked in mortal combat with tidal wave of white armoured figures. While the Knights and padawans he could see gave and excellent account of themselves, they were buried under a legion of clones, who had brought enough fire-power to overwhelm their adversaries by sheer volume of fire if nothing else.

Then he was amidst a lava covered wasteland, where Obi-Wan was fighting a shadow wielding azure lightsaber. A fallen Jedi or a Sith, Mace didn't know. He blinked and was within the Senate Chambers, just in time to see a tired and much older looking Master Yoda jump away from a senatorial pod hurling his way.

The Vaapad master was brought down to his knees by the death screams of thousands of Jedi. He was shocked with emotion and finally he knew what he was allowed to see. A future... The Future that would have been if Veil hadn't existed. The Fall of both the Jedi and the Republic.

'Now what?' Mace wondered in his mind.

He looked at Veil who was watching him through narrowed eyes, just like the rest of the Force Adepts in the Council Chambers. Someone was speaking, but Windu didn't hear him, being too deep in his own thoughts. He knew a terrible truth now. Without the changes Veil brought, the Jedi would be all but annihilated in the future, and the clones would pay a part in that. Now there wasn't a clear path to the future. Everything was in flux, changing too fast to glimpse anything beyond vague traces of danger. Yet Mace couldn't help but wonder, whether the fate Veil had in mind for the Jedi was better or worse than the Fall he was just warned about...

He stood up and turned towards Yoda. Mace Windu had a decision to make.


	48. Chapter 18 Part 2 Betaed

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**AN: This part was betaed by Mighty Bob on the Space Battles forums! Thank you for the splendid work and the time you took to clean up this update!**

**Phase 18: Political Maneuvers**

**=RK=**

**Part 2**

**Council Chambers**

**Jedi Temple **

**Coruscant**

I don't really know how I stopped myself from tearing into that kriffing prick Windu when it became obvious what the bastard was trying to do. Sheer incredulity was part of it for sure. It has been ages since I encountered someone who actually could influence Shatter-points... and I had no bloody idea that Windu was one of those people.

Second, the episode was over as fast as it began, obviously in failure. We all could feel a wave of backslash passing through the Vaapad master. Which served him right. How the damn Jedi thought that he could get away with it if he had actually succeeded is beyond me. Not with a lot of the Councillors present in the flesh.

Unless they liked the outcome and decided to cover it up. Needless to say, my opinion of the Jedi, whose only reaction was to give Windu a bunch of disapproving glares, didn't endear them to me.

"Master Windu," I hissed through clenched teeth, "In the future, keep your Force abilities to yourself."

"Indeed!" rumbled Yoda, who narrowed his eyes at the accused. "More of that, have we will not!" the Grandmaster ordered in a tone of voice I had never heard him use in the movies. Though it wasn't that surprising, given that this was the real thing after all.

Around me, both Valentra and the Clones stiffened. While they could only guess what had just happened, the very idea that Windu could have used his "sorcery" on such an occasion was pissing them off. The way my men tightened their grip on their weapons was telling.

Windu looked around with a pained expression on his face. The coiled cloud of tension that had descended over the Council chambers with his entrance tightened even move as he opened his mouth to speak. To my, and a lot of other people's surprise, Windu proved that he was a Jedi Master and a Council member for a reason.

"My fellow Jedi, it appears that I've lost my way as of late," he spoke in a voice dripping genuine regret. Which was actually something I didn't expect from my brief acquaintance with the man. "In my perhaps overzealous pursuit to protect all we hold dear, I came close to tearing apart the very Republic we are sworn to protect."

That was almost as clear an admission of guilt as one could have expected. The Jedi around us stared at their colleague, wondering where he was going. So did I.

"While I can't help but wonder, what future lies ahead of the Republic with a Sith at the helm of its armies, one fact remains unchanged. So far, all of General Veil's actions had been for what he sees as the best of our nation."

Oh, boy. Wasn't this a nice, ambiguous speech!? While not said, it was implied that my vision for the Republic's future might not be to the liking of either the Jedi as a whole or the power-brokers actually running the whole corrupt mess.

He was right about that, but that's another story...

"At the time I took what I believed to be the right course of action for us all. That's all I have to say for myself. I leave myself to the fair judgement of this Council," Windu finished his short speech with a deep bow in Yoda's direction.

All eyes turned towards the Grandmaster. The ball was in his court.

**=RK=**

Shaak Ti felt like massaging her forehead. The abrupt change of tune that Mace has after toying with his Force-given abilities, was going to create more problems than it would solve. But more importantly, unless she was very much mistaken, Windu had glimpsed something during his ill advised attempt to influence the future in his own favour. While he still implied that Veil was at least a potential danger, a person from whom both the Jedi and the Republic as a whole should be wary of, for at least some, the Jedi Master's words would be viewed like an endorsement for Delkatar.

In just few short sentences, Windu had poured fuel on the flames of both Veil's supporters and the hard-liners who viewed him as the greatest threat to the future. Though in the end, Shaak Ti knew that unfortunately most beings would hear whatever they wanted to in Mace's words.

Ti stole a brief glance Delkatar's way, seeing him scowl at Windu. She felt relieved that Veil didn't attack her fellow Jedi Master when Mace kriffed up with his Force Abilities. It wasn't like the Sith wasn't provoked, if the way he had reacted was anything to judge by.

Such a disaster didn't bare thinking about. Though the usually suppressed part of her that was the evolved predator couldn't help but wonder who would have won if those two went toe to toe against each other.

At those thoughts, she had to consciously prevent a quiet growl of anticipation from escaping her lips.

**=RK=**

Master Yoda had a dilemma to solve. All because Mace had decided to act like a blithering imbecile. The ancient Jedi Master was sorely tempted to use his cane on the much taller human's shins. Kriffing kids these days! He haven't been in such a mess in centuries!

"Hmm..." a quiet rumble escaped Yoda's lungs. "Difficult it is. Served faithfully the Republic, you have, " he used his cane to point at Windu's chest. "Many conflicts resolved, you have. Many lives saved, you have."

Yoda's ears drooped in a sign of regret, while he wondered why the younglings like Mace just had to act so rash!

"Yet..." the Grandmaster trailed off, glancing from Veil to Windu.

Yoda was well aware of all facets of this trial. Of all the hopes riding on it, all the expectations and the incredible potential for disaster. Worst of all, no matter what one might have expected, his hands were mostly tied. It wasn't right, yet the trial wasn't about justice or guilt though there was plenty of both to go around. No, it was about both Jedi and Republic politics.

There was a schism within his own Order, one Yoda didn't see coming when he had decided that Veil wasn't their enemy. And he should have. After all, Yoda had been the one to train the Jedi. The one who shaped the Order for more centuries than he wanted to count.

Only to be blind-sided by an impossibility. A Sith that may not be an enemy. A logical impasse, which was undermining the foundation of the current Jedi Order.

Yoda closed his eyes, opening himself to the Force, searching for guidance. Even if he already knew the path he should take. He needed to buy time and try to heal the rift in his own house.

"Guilty you are... Of arrogance. Short-sightedness. Your actions, befitting a Jedi Master's were not. Part of this Council no longer you are!" Yoda sharply waved a hand when some Jedi Masters whispered furiously at that turn of events. For Yoda wasn't calling a vote. He was Commanding, something he usually avoided. "Punishment enough this is not. However, in a war we are. Leaving you in prison a waste of your talents would be. Until concluded the Clone Wars are, a common soldier for the Republic you will be."

Plo Koon gave a firm nod. "So your guilt will be redeemed in service of the Republic."

Windu answered with a single nod.

"This show is over!" Kenobi announced after a subtle gesture by Yoda. The Temple Guardians wasted no time in ushering the camera drones out, before leaving with Windu.

**=RK=**

I kept quiet until the chamber's doors sealed behind the last of the guards. Then I looked straight at Yoda.

"You very well know that letting him go with just a slap on the wrist will be unacceptable," I said. Next to me Valentra glared at the tiny Jedi.

"We surely could reach some kind of compromise!" Padme hurried to intervene. I'm not sure how much she was aware of the inter-council and Jedi politics in general, though it should be obvious to someone as experienced in the field of politics that this trial had to be resolved. Now.

"Know this, I do," Yoda said, his ears drooping in what I thought was a sign of regret. "Get your wish, you will. All Jedi Officers, screened will be. Lacking the skills for command who are, removed from their positions will be."

Valentra glanced my way and I gave him a nod. "That will be acceptable for the Army and Navy."

"Won't such an act be very disruptive?" asked Bail.

It was a good question.

"It will. However, in the long term, we well be much better for it. There were many instances so far that Jedi Officers of all levels made critical mistakes, both tactical and strategic. That's not something that we could allow continuing."

Some Jedi Masters looked like they approved. Others were unreadable, however the glares sent our way by about a third of the Council was enough to give me a good idea what they thought of our agreement.

In the end they kept their mouths shut, deciding that enough of the Jedi's dirty laundry had been flashed in public for the time being. Though I just knew those folks would be a pain in my ass in due time.

"Well, now that's settled, you all know what follows!" I smirked, letting some of my amusement show. After all, the trial's outcome was something I was going to spin my way while giving the Jedi enough rope to hang themselves.

"A meeting with our _friends _of the media," Kenobi grunted.

"Inevitable it is," muttered Yoda, in a tone making it clear to us all that he wasn't looking forward to the meet and greet with the vultures.

The two Senators in our midst looked at each other, wondering what the problem with meeting the media was. After all, that was something both of them had to do often enough.

**=RK=**

**The Great Hall**

**Jedi Temple**

**Coruscant**

We made our way to the Temple's gates, where a small mob of reporters awaited us. That part of the Galaxy's scum was kept at bay by a cordon of Clone Troopers and Temple Guardians. I didn't need the Force to know that the security forces' tempers were already fraying while they were trying to contain the newsies. I put my best fake smile on my face and strode forward. Valentra moved to my right, schooling his face in a mask of calmness. We let the majority of the Jedi Masters in our wake, while they were striding slowly forward, refusing to show themselves as anything but dignified.

Well except Shaak Ti and Obi-Wan, who hurried ahead of their fellows to join us. To be fair, I wasn't really sure if it was a sign of support or if they wanted to be near in order to mitigate any damage the inevitable interviews were about to cause.

I nodded at the Clone lieutenant commanding the trooper detachment at the gates, and as was pre-arranged he ordered his soldiers to make way.

It took Kenobi's sharp order and Ti's glare to have the same effect on the Guardians, something that didn't remain unnoticed.

I made my way to the head of the mob and grinned at them.

"My friends, undoubtedly you have some pointed questions for both ourselves," I tilted my head at my fellow general, "and the wise Jedi Masters of the Council. Please go ahead."

As expected, what followed was a cacophony of shouted questions. I waited for a few moments, before raising a hand. It took them some more time, but they quieted, managing to get to a semblance of order before the rest of the Council could join us... Thus showing better control than I expected from damn reporters.

"Let's start with you, miss!" I pointed at a pleasant looking human woman, who reminded me of that reporter from the third Mass Effect game.

"Tany Lorn, from Galactic Press. General Veil, our viewers would like to know the Army's position on the Council's decision. Further, some of them have concerns about a Sith being the nominal head of the Republic's field forces in these dark times."

"Miss Lorn, first I can assure you that the Sith I associated with all those years ago are nothing like those you are most familiar with. I'm speaking of the same so called Sith who were outlawed during the Ruusan reformations. The same Sith who are in league with the Confederacy of Independent Systems in their dastardly scheme to plunge the whole galaxy into war!" I paused for a moment, to let my words sink in and better judge the emotions of the small crowd. There was curiosity, anticipation, a lot of cynicism, as one would expect from reporters and not a small amount of fear after all that had happened. At least those were the strongest feelings of the gathered beings before me.

It was something I could work with.

"What some of my detractors whisper in the dark is true," I let those words hang in the air. The pause was just enough for Padme and Organa to join us, shortly followed by the rest of the Councillors present on Coruscant. "During the Great War I fought for the Empire. In that conflict I killed both Jedi and Republic soldiers. However, that war has been over for a long time. The very Empire I served, the Republic that was its arch-enemy and even the Jedi Order have been gone for millennia! The Republic I now serve is the legitimate Galactic government!" I paused for effect. "In all the years I've lived one thing hasn't changed! I still continue to fight for imposing order and stability onto the galaxy at large, just as the Grand Army and this very Republic does! Even as we speak, both Clones and ordinary people alike bleed and die for this same ideal!" I waved a hand, encompassing both Valentra and the Clones escorting us. "We will do our best to ensure that this conflict is fought to its conclusion with the least amount of bloodshed and collateral damage. However, the individuals who lead the other side, those so called Sith and their allies amongst the Separatist Council have shown their true colours. That of terrorists, delusional warmongers, Mass murderers who target military and civilian alike!" I took a deep breath. "We, your proud guardians from all branches of the Republic military forces, will do whatever it takes to stop the chaos and madness unleashed by this so called Confederacy! We will bring the War Criminals leading the CIS to justice, stopping their atrocities across the galaxy once and for all!" I declared.

To my surprise, the small crowd exploded with cheers, taking me aback. I stood there, basking in their raw emotions. It was bloody glorious!

Next to me, the Jedi stood rooted in their places, not knowing how to react. Few of them were in such a position before and the raw feelings of the gathered reporters were rocking their world!

I raised a hand again, waiting for the people in front of me to calm down.

"As for your other question," I looked the young reporter in the eyes, "The Army agrees that given the circumstances, simply imprisoning the former Jedi Master Windu and throwing the key away, would be a waste. No matter his other faults, he is a competent warrior, one who can be put to good use in defending the Republic in her hour of need. Nevertheless, he is not someone who we feel could be trusted. So how to best to utilise his skills will be the topic of some debates," I paused. "Thank you for your insightful questions, miss Lorn." I pointed at a deep blue, male Twi'lek next. "Let's hear your questions, sir."

"Dan Howtenstain, Coruscant News Network. General Veil, despite the successful military operations you led as of late, the Republic as a whole is seen as being on the defensive. What's more concerning, some of our military annalists say that we are at severe strategic disadvantage, something that allowed the attacks on Coruscant to happen in the first place. How would you comment on that?"

"Actually, that is a very good question Dan." I said in a serious tone. It was time to pour even more fuel on the fire of anti-CIS resentment and fear. "I'm about to tell you a secret that few outside the military know. It has been something that has given those of us in the know a lot of sleepless nights."

That got everyone's undivided attention. The reporters were looking at me with hunger in their eyes. After all, it wasn't often that an official was about to tell them a deep dark secret. Officially. In front of the whole galaxy.

I found it hard to keep the serious expression on my face. I had them now. Even better, this was one of the things we discussed in the meeting with the intelligence chiefs. It was decided that I would be the one to confirm the bad news to the citizens at large.

"It is no real secret that when this war started, the Republic as a whole didn't have a real army to speak of. Just some Judicial Forces, which while good in their role, were law enforcement units. The same could be said for the Jedi as well. They are excellent in their role. That of peacekeepers and fiendishly good investigators. The fact that they are some of the galaxy's premier warriors helps as well."

Some Jedi stood a bit straighter at the unexpected praise, while others, the more experienced and cunning of them (or simply paranoid) waited for the other shoe to drop. The newsies on the other hand, were lapping up my words as if there was no tomorrow.

"However, both groups had some major disadvantage. The most glaring of all is their startling lack of numbers. No matter how good you are, when the enemy could simply bury you in numbers without even notice, well..." I shrugged. I didn't need to extrapolate on that front. Both groups combined didn't have anything approaching the numbers to face an army. "Second, which is as important, pertains to a lot of Jedi. Luckily to us all, that was a problem to which we found a solution which will be announced today."

The crowd was becoming restless again. As expected, teasing them with juicy information was working.

"That problem is simple, yet complex. The mentality in which the Jedi are raised and encouraged to have, well it's contrary to what one needs to be an effective military officer. There aren't many who were able to raise above what they were taught all their lives behind the Temple's walls and become the officers that the Republic needs in her hour of need. That's why the GAR High Command and the Jedi Council reached an agreement. The performance of all Jedi already included within the Army structure will be reviewed. Those unsuitable for command positions will be replaced with beings who would find no conflict in executing their duty with their religious beliefs and ideals."

I gave a respectful bow to the gathered Jedi Councillors. Most of them managed to keep their calm façade, though there were a lot who were glaring at me. The fun thing was that everything I said was factually true. Yet, for one who was unfamiliar (or had vague knowledge about the Force), well they would make their own conclusions about the Jedi and the way the war was prosecuted under their command.

While there were a lot of questions shouted my way, I wasn't finished. I raised my right hand in a placating gesture, waiting for an opportunity to speak again.

When the crowd calmed down a bit at my latest revelation, I was free to continue.

"Nevertheless, that's not all there is to our current problems. While the Republic is much bigger than what the traitors hold, with much greater potential economics, we do face some significant problems. To put it bluntly, when the war started, they were ready. Their economy was already on war footing, their shipyards and factories engaged producing warships, weapons and hordes of droids. While we were caught with our pants down." I waved a hand in a dismissive gesture. "I understand it. Really. No one sane wishes a war. Those of us who truly know it, are the last ones who would desire it. We have seen the horrors, we carry the scars and we have lost too much to it to willingly embrace it..."

Unless that we knew that sometimes the alternative is worse. And/or we are Sith, but that's beside the point.

"So I can't place all, or even most of the blame on those Senators who simply wished for peace and opposed the raising of the Grand Army of the Republic. However, now we all find ourselves with a problem. Until the economy can be placed on a war footing, we will be at a severe disadvantage against the CIS. The next few months will be precarious, even if the latest enemy offensive has run out of steam. Now it is a race between our boys and girls, fighting across half the galaxy, trying to stem the tide of evil and buy us enough time to place our house in order and start diminishing the Separatist's advantage."

I looked straight at one of the camera drones floating in front of me. "While it is a dauntless task, it is far from an insurmountable one. For we don't stand alone! Many of our friends have come to the Republic's aid in our hour of need! Even now, Corellian ships and crews race to bolster the Navy in a dozen sectors. That is something that we should be grateful for. Instead of choosing the easy way, instead of simply standing aside while the Republic and the whole galaxy is torn apart in war, the Corellians chose to do the right thing! To risk life and limb to oppose the genocidal madness of the CIS! And, that my fellow beings is something that should both humble us and make us forever grateful for their example!"

**=RK=**

That interview was going to have major consequences across the galaxy. For both the beings who were present there in person and the masses who watched it on the holonet.

Ki Adi Mundy carefully studied the gathered reporters, while the various beings were wildly cheering Veil. He couldn't help but wonder if this was a foreshadowing of things to come. The General was an increasingly popular man, one who was on his way to becoming indispensable for a Republic struggling with enemies from both outside and within... and Democracy seldom was able to coexist with indispensable beings around...

=**RK=**

Nearby, Shaak Ti had trouble keeping her head clear. She was starting to understand why all the Sith were building Empires in the past.

This was a small crowd, yet the effect of those people's emotions were staggering. Ti wondered how she would feel if faced with tens of thousands, or even more beings. And what a Sith could do with such a crowd?

The Togruta knew that she should be, well scared isn't the right word, concerned about the potential nefarious plots that might lurk within Veil's head. But, she couldn't help it! She was both scared and thrilled at the thought of what he could achieve when playing with such a crowd.

She shook her head at those un-Jedilike thoughts. Shaak Ti needed to meditate and clear up her head. The shots across the bow that Veil sent as a warning towards the Council were going to give her additional headaches. She just knew it.

**=RK=**

**Temporarily Chancellor Office**

**Location Classified**

**Coruscant**

The Republic's Chancellor watched the proceedings with a frown on his face. His estimate of the threat that Veil represented was revisited once again. Upwards. However, that wasn't his priority right now. He had to find a way to keep the bulk of the Jedi on the front lines, because he was sure that after Veil cleaned house, many if not most of those weak fools would be kicked out of their cushy positions of authority. Which, of course, would create some interesting opportunities for the Dark Lord of the Sith.

Even if it meant that executing the original plan when the time came probably wouldn't be as effective as envisioned. No matter! It wasn't like he couldn't change and adapt when the situation called for it. After all, he wasn't a fossilised Jedi!

=**RK=**

Far away, the different members of the Confederacy council winced while watching Veil speak. The politicians amongst them found most disturbing the fact that their newest enemy apparently could easily win the reporters on his side. Those, and their networks were the ones shaping the opinions of the whole galaxy... It did not bode well, when that infernal Sith could whip up a bunch of reporters into such a frenzy. One had to wonder what he could do with the ordinary citizens... Something that soon everyone would know, once the news had some time to be absorbed by the Republic's (and to a much lesser extent the CIS's) population.

When all things were considered, those beings running the CIS were grateful that they still had a strategic advantage over the Republic.

And last, but not the least, the few beings who were the leaders of a rogue organization within both he Republic and the CIS itself, were planning how to use the latest upheaval within their adversaries to the best of their advantage.


	49. Chapter 18 Part 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**AN: This update was betaed by Dragon Force Ranger Red and Mighty Bob on the Space Battles forums! Thank you for the great work and time you put in betaing this part!**

**Phase 18: Political Maneuvers**

**=RK=**

**Part 3**

**Senator Amidala's Suite**

**Republica 500**

**Coruscant**

I can honestly say that spending my last evening on Coruscant here, before leaving for Corellia wasn't something that I expected. Especially being amongst such pleasant company.

The place was Padme's relatively small dining room. As for the company, well there was Anakin as one might expect, and Shaak Ti. After the press-conference, she had been once again assigned as my shadow. 'What amongst what I said could have prompted such a reaction among the Jedi, I wonder?' I rhetorically asked myself.

Shaak Ti, who was sitting across the table from me, snorted. She spoke as if reading my thoughts. "You all but called most Jedi incompetent, made many of us look like a bunch of crazy zealots and insinuated that you would be replacing us with a bunch of bloodthirsty maniacs in charge of the clones. What's there to be nervous about?!"

Obviously the time for small talk was over. A pity, I was enjoying the story Padme was telling us about Anakin's antics on their flight from Coruscant towards Naboo during the Trade Federation crisis.

Her words just highlighted one of the biggest problem I had with the Jedi. From my, and most objective people's perspective, what she said was true. The Jedi, at least most of them, were incompetent as far as being military officers goes... As for bloodthirsty replacements, that would be true only from the Jedi's perspective. For them most effective military commanders would probably be considered a bunch of murderous maniacs.

"To be fair, Master Ti, Windu made a great example for most of the points you raised," Anakin snorted. "Further, Delkatar is right. Most of us are unfit for being generals," he muttered quietly.

It was obvious that Skywalker was remembering his and Obi-Wan's escapades on Ryloth.

"How so?" asked Ti. "You are speaking from experience," she declared after studying him for few moments.

"Yeah."

"What happened?" she asked.

"I want to know that too!" Padme added her two cents, sending a pointed look at her husband and then to the living room where I had noticed a couch. "And you," she pointed at me with her fork, "I can definitely say that the way you got your version of the story out first was very good... for a politician. As one of the leaders of the Army you should know better than to play such games. It is the Senate's job to deal with the press and the politics of the situation."

"There isn't much of the Senate left, Padme. Besides, if I'm to be honest, I wouldn't trust most of your colleagues with anything of importance," I turned my head towards Anakin. While she had grown up a lot in the short time I knew her, she could still be naïve sometimes. "You know, Dooku was right when he spoke with Kenobi on Geonosis"

Skywalker gave me an empty look. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Ah. Perhaps you know what I imply?" I turned my attention towards Shaak Ti, who shook her head in denial. Her hypnotizing eyes were looking at me with interest.

"He told Obi-Wan that the Senate and the Republic as a whole were under the influence of a Sith Lord. And he didn't mean me."

"So Dooku tried to gain Kenobi as an asset for the CIS by lying to him. It obviously failed."

"Obviously. However, you are mistaken about one point. Dooku told the truth," I declared and watched with amusement the effects of the bomb I just dropped in their collective laps.

It wouldn't be the last for the night either.

"Even if you are correct, I just can't take your word for that. Not without evidence!" declared Padme.

To my pleasant surprise, the one who asked the most important question was none other than Shaak Ti. "It is a grave accusation. One I can't dismiss out of hand considering how the Senate has been behaving. Though most of those suspicious instances could be written off as simple greed and corruption." She fixed me with a stare. "Why are you telling this to the three of us? Such suspicions would be better served if brought to either the Jedi Council or your friend Valentra."

"Hey! I am a Senator. This is need to know information for me too!" Padme exclaimed. "Yet, Master Ti raises a good point. Care to enlighten us?"

Three pair of eyes converged on me. I leaned back into my chair. It was time to start laying the foundation of the future.

"You need allies..." Shaak Ti trailed off.

"I have my reasons to want you all on my side," I looked at Padme. "You are one of the youngest, yet most influential Senators in the Republic. A woman of integrity, who stands by her ideals when the going gets tough. Which is something to admire, though sometimes the consequences of your stubbornness could be to the detriment of us all."

"You and Anakin are never going to let my stand against the Republic Army bill go, will you?" Padme grumbled.

"Not any time soon," I muttered. To his credit Anakin remained silent. The young man obviously didn't want to sleep on the couch. Again.

"Padme, you are a staunch advocate of Democracy and freedom of choice. Something that will be missing from this galaxy if the CIS, or my hypothetical Sith backing them, win."

"Fair enough," she said. It was no secret that there was a conspicuous lack of democracy after the Separatists seized a world. Or within their own camp if the rumours we got from Intelligence had any merit to them.

"You, my young friend," I pointed at Anakin, "Will do anything to protect those precious to you. Something that the Jedi did little to help you with in the past. Besides to those that still believe in such nonsense as prophecies, you are the Chosen One in addition to being a powerful Force Adept. And a talented amateur as far as commanding troops goes."

He gave me a stubborn look, but then shook his head. The reminder of what happened with his mother not too long ago was still painful. I could clearly sense his anguish at the reminder. So could Shaak Ti, but she chose to remain silent until she knew more about the situation she suddenly found herself in.

"And what about me, oh wise one?" Shaak Ti asked.

"You are one of the best that the Jedi have. An experienced leader, a virtuoso with a lightsaber. And most importantly, someone who no longer takes the Council's propaganda for Holy Scripture that must be followed at all costs."

That she was quite pleasant to the eyes was something I didn't add aloud. It wasn't something she would appreciate right now. Though that thought made a concern resurface in my mind. Was I thinking with my dick as far as Ti was concerned?

Well no matter. Right now was too late for second thoughts. I had made up my mind and it was high time to start recruiting some high profile people to my side. Or shoot myself in the foot if I had misjudged those three...

"I have a vision for the future that I want to accomplish. Imagine a galaxy that is stable, a beacon of law and order. A place that no longer strains under the wasteful chaos of this war. I want a peaceful galaxy, one where you won't have to fear the ambitions of petty warlords. A place without rampant crime. A galaxy free of slavery, no matter if you are fortunate to live within the heart of the Republic or you are from a Force forsaken world in the Outer Rim!" I took a deep breath. "That is my dream. And with your help, I might be able to pull it off."

My little speech got Anakin's attention at least. It was enough to mention that I wanted to get rid of slavery for good and he was almost guaranteed to have my back. Besides, straightening up the galaxy was something that he would agree with.

"Oh, my. That's a lot to take in. You sure are ambitious, Delkatar. I can't help but wonder, while those are pretty words you say, do you really mean them?" asked Shaak Ti.

"Words are cheap. I would like you all to judge me by my actions."

"Yet, your path is one of carnage," supplied Padme.

"You can't change the galaxy with only your ideals. More often than not it takes someone willing to dirty their hands. Do you think that the Hutts will stop their criminal enterprises, or rein in their slavers if you ask nicely or force some kind of economic sanctions upon them?"

"No," Anakin growled. "I know those... Beings!" he hissed, remembering his life as a slave. "There is only one language they understand. Unless you are willing and able to enforce your terms, nothing will change. For the longest time a big part of the Outer Rim has been a hell hole and yet, neither the Republic nor the Jedi have done a thing to clean up that mess! It is something that should have been dealt with centuries ago!"

Shaak Ti shook her head in resignation. "Anakin! You know that isn't the Jedi way! We are diplomats and peacekeepers!"

"For all the good it did," he muttered.

"Oh, Ani," Padme whispered, in a way one wouldn't speak to just a friend. Anakin looked at his wife, his funk forgotten.

Something that didn't remain unnoticed by Shaak Ti. She was glancing from Anakin to Padme. I gave the three of them a wan smile. It was time to drop the hammer.

"Anakin, I believe that you as well as many of the other Jedi are aware that I consider you a friend, right?" I asked lightly.

Skywalker tore his eyes from the stunning image that was his wife (it's truly amazing what some make up could accomplish!) and glanced at me. The change of topic had surprised him. By the way he shifted his posture, I could gather that he had considerably calmed himself.

"I think it's safe to say you are correct in that assessment. You aren't one to ask questions you know the answer to. Unless you want to make a point," Senator Amidala stated, while her husband was still regaining his cool.

"I think Padme got it," I said.

The Senator had paled a bit. She had a grim expression on her face.

"Padme, what is it?" Skywalker asked. His tone was full with concern.

"I should have thought of that after today's interviews. Even earlier, though today would make it certain!" She gave me a cross look. "You said it plainly for everyone in the galaxy to hear that you are a Sith."

"So?" Anakin shrugged. "It was a public secret anyway. Besides, it's far from being the most memorable thing he said anyway!"

"That's my point! Combined with the contents of your speech, that will bring even more scrutiny upon you! And upon your friends!" she glared at me.

Shaak Ti glanced between the secretly married couple. She had been wondering why Anakin had been invited to this dinner in the first place and I'm sure that she was disturbed by the way those two interacted even if they tried to keep things professional.

"Especially if one of them is the Chosen One of the Jedi Order," the Togruta said with a thoughtful frown on her face. An expression which made her look very cute.

I simply beamed at her.

Say what you will about Skywalker, but he could be fast on the uptake when he wanted. He deflated and looked dejectedly at his half-eaten food. "It won't be long now. Even without practically announcing it to a Jedi Master!" he pointed an accusing finger at my chest.

"Guilty as charged, Anakin. However, there is a method to my madness."

I leaned towards him and mock-whispered, just loud enough for the women to hear. "It's a test!"

"Those two are in a relationship..." Shaak Ti grumbled. She glared at each one of us in turn, before taking a deep pull from the cup of Naboo wine in front of her. "In hind-sign it should have been obvious. How long? A few weeks? Longer?"

The husband and wife looked at each other, conversing with but a glance.

"We finally admitted our feelings on Geonosis," Anakin said.

"And we married soon afterwards, when Ani escorted me back to Naboo after the battle was resolved."

"Married?!" Shaak Ti spluttered.

"Ki Adi Mundi," I interjected, earning myself a withering glare.

"Don't give me that, Delkatar! You know very well that he is a special case! His species is close to extinction!"

"So? Do you really believe that there are no feelings involved between him, his wives and kids?" I asked.

"He is a Jedi Master! He can control his..."

"Heart?" I interrupted her. "Trust me about this, Master Ti. It doesn't work like that. I know."

She was about to argue further, but then abruptly clamped her mouth shut. She gave me a pained look and lowered her head. "What you showed me. Your wife. She fell for and married a Sith during the war, yet she remained a Jedi up until the bitter end."

"Yes. She never fell to the Dark Side, despite reveling in her feelings. Ashara let her emotions run free and she was stronger for it," I spoke wistfully, remembering times long past.

"You were married?" Skywalker asked.

"What happened to her?" Padme was fast to add her own question.

I gave them an empty stare. "She was murdered. By the Jedi of my own era."

Two simultaneous gasps echoed in the suddenly cold dining room. Shaak Ti winced when I reminded her of my past again. She was looking at her lap, refusing to meet anyone's eyes.


	50. Chapter 18 Part 4

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**AN: ****Most of this part was betaed by ****Mighty Bob, ****vnixned2 and Krain on the Space Battles forums! Thank you very much ****for the effort and time you put in betaing!**

**Chapter 18: Political Maneuvers **

**=RK=**

**Part 4**

**Padme's Apartment**

**500 Republica**

**Coruscant**

Delkatar's latest revelation stopped the conversation cold. While both Anakin and Senator Amidala were struggling with the implication's of Veil's past, Shaak Ti was trying to figure out what he was aiming for. Unless she was very much mistaken, there was far more to his goals than what he had revealed.

Which was a given. After all, Veil hadn't told them anything besides a very general outline for the future he wanted. Then it clicked. The Jedi Order. What was its place, the Jedi's place in the galaxy Delkatar wanted to shape? Then again, if Delkatar wanted them discredited, or even worse, Windu had given him the perfect opportunity, during the first attack on the Temple.

She looked up, unspoken questions shining in her eyes. Her gaze was met by the Sith's amused expression.

"What about the Jedi?"

"What about them?" he repeated her question. "The Jedi will make their own choices and reap the consequences, whatever they may be. All I've done is try to steer your Council away from the path that your kind took in my past."

**=RK=**

Meanwhile, Anakin was staring at his wife, while his heart was gripped by fear's cold embrace. It wasn't that long ago that he lost his mother. Shmi died of her wounds in his arms... Because he had been too late. Because, the Jedi were unsympathetic to his plight... and finally, because despite all that power at his fingertips, he had been powerless to save his mother. He'd been unable to heal her, which was another failing of the Jedi. The only thing available to learn had been the Healing trance, something that worked only on one's self. In contrast, he was sitting next to living proof that even a kriffing Sith could heal better than what was officially available to the Order... What was sealed within the Temple's Archive out of fear, the knowledge that could have saved his mother probably gathered dust somewhere in the Temple all but forgotten.

That angered Anakin, yet it was far from all that burdened him.

Part of him feared the Order's reaction once his marriage became public knowledge. Would they expel him? Demand that he dissolve his marriage? At any rate it would be a scandal and a public one at that. While he didn't really care what the effect would be on him, he was exposed to enough politicking to know that Padme's enemies would try to use their secret marriage against her.

All those thoughts ran through Skywalker's head, while he struggled with the bomb that Veil dropped in their laps. Part of him wanted to deny it. To believe that the Jedi, no matter from which era, would do such a thing. Yet, the darker part of his personality, which was born from his childhood in slavery, knew better. He hadn't been innocent for as long as he could remember, knowing very well the evil men did. That cynical part of Anakin Skywalker could very well see it. A raid to either capture Veil's wife to "rescue" her from the corrupting influence of the Sith... An attack meant to get Veil himself, which found his wife instead... An attempt to kidnap her in order to blackmail an enemy leader... It could have been any one of these scenarios gone wrong, even before Delkatar told them exactly what had happened. About Ashara possessing the fabled Battle Meditation.

So Anakin could almost understand why the Jedi of that time had gone after Ashara.

Though in the end it didn't really matter. Anakin knew that if the roles were reversed, if the CIS somehow managed to get Padme, which the kriffing bastards seemed keen on doing, he would go to the end of the galaxy and beyond to make them pay... and if he somehow travelled to a far future in which the CIS or a successor organization still existed, they would be his enemies too.

He would have thought that would be even truer for a Sith! Yet, instead of a vengeance driven monster, he was dining with a reasonable man, who not only wanted to finally bring order to a galaxy gone mad, but to crush kriffing slavery once and for all.

So he was torn and confused. What Veil apparently wanted, was the same thing Skywalker's heart desired, beyond seeing his Angel safe and happy. Yet he couldn't help but wonder what the catch was...

**=RK=**

Padme, while married to a Jedi and friends with a few others, didn't really grasp the nuances of the Force. Especially the differences between the Light and Dark sides, beyond one being the "evil" one. That was through no failing of her own, considering the narrow views and understanding possessed by the Jedi of the era. So while she considered the death of Veil's wife a tragedy, she missed most of the implications... Both about Delkatar and the Jedi who ordered and took part in the raid. Nevertheless, by extrapolating what she knew of the Order of her time, she could see that act as being out of character. Or one born out of desperation... Just as she viewed Windu's actions.

That's how Padme Amidala started wondering how far some Jedi would go while Delkatar's star continued to rise and he accumulated more and more power. A most disturbing thought as far as all its implications went. Both about the Jedi's possible excesses and about what Veil would one day decide to do with his power. After all, she was opposed to even Palpatine, an old and dear friend gaining as much power as he already had, and Veil would come to match him if nothing drastically changed in the near future.

While what Delkatar said he wanted sounded great for the galaxy as a whole, Padme simply couldn't trust him. Not with this. Not with that much power. If she had to be honest with herself, she probably wouldn't, couldn't condone anyone gaining so much power. Yet, opposing his agenda, while she wasn't really sure what it truly was, wouldn't be the prudent thing to do.

She sighed. The Republic was in shambles and barring a miracle, the situation would grow a lot worse before it started improving. The last thing the Republic needed was further internal divisions in the face of the CIS. Besides, Padme didn't have a leg to stand on against Veil. Not when what he said he wanted would be embraced by most if not all Republic Citizens.

She had few appealing choices. In the end, Padme decided to follow what she knew Anakin would go for. She would stand with Veil for now. To see what his vision for the future really was... and to be ready if he was indeed the power hungry tyrant his detractors tried to portray him as.

At least that way she might be able to keep Ani on the straight and narrow path...

=**RK=**

'So, it comes to this,' Shaak Ti thought. Suddenly she was in position to fulfil her mission from the Council. She could easily become part of Delkatar's inner circle and learn his plans. So the Jedi could be ready if he was anything but what he posed as. After all, their official position as far as this Sith was concerned, was trust but verify... From multiple credible sources.

It was a simple thing really. An agreement, one that was non-binding or anything at least for now. Yet, the Togruta couldn't help but feel trapped. Somehow Ti found herself in a position where no matter what she would chose, she would betray someone's trust.

That very thought caught her off guard. Since when did Veil's trust mean anything at all to her?

"I would like to see this future of yours, unfold," Padme broke the silence to everyone's surprise. She smiled frosty. "As long as securing this galaxy from the insanity of this war is your goal."

"That much I can guarantee. I don't want this galaxy torn asunder by conflict or to crown myself emperor or other such nonsense."

Shaak Ti was stunned. As he spoke, Delkatar dropped his shields for an instant. For a moment, she could clearly feel Veil through the Force... He was telling the truth! Not even a hint of deception!

Then the barriers slammed back in place, and Delkatar was once again a whirlpool of Light and Dark energies. Shaak Ti briefly considered the possibility that he was trying to manipulate them, but she discarded it. The Force didn't lie! Veil was serious about bringing order and stability to the galaxy without, unlike any Sith she had heard before him, wanting to be the one in charge of everything.

Delkatar looked her in the eyes and smiled.

"I know that despite everything that happened in the short time I've been here, I've yet to earn your trust. So I won't ask you to choose between following my path or the Council. I'm aware that they want you to report on my actions, and that's fine with me. I hope that by telling them the truth, you would help convince the more traditional minded Jedi that I'm not a monster fit to be tied."

"I see..." Shaak Ti trailed off. That was certainly not what she had expected. She was glad that her loyalties wouldn't be tested any further that day. "Well, we'll see how your actions speak for themselves. Besides, you'll need someone to keep you out of too much trouble," she smirked at Veil and gave him a toothy grin.

When she turned her head towards Skywalker, the young Jedi shrugged.

"What?" he exclaimed, noticing that everyone was looking at him. "You know my opinion on slavery! Neither the Republic nor the Jedi did a kriffing thing to clean up the Outer Rim! If Delkatar wants to make a difference, I'm behind him one hundred percent!"

'As for the catch, we'll wait and see...' Skywalker thought.

**=RK=**

"Well, that's a much better reception than I feared!" I gave them a genuine smile. Oh, I was well aware that I had only their tentative support for now, and at least Padme was likely to go along only to see if in the long run, I was either an asset or threat to her precious Republic. Needless to say, I was all right with it. Those were just the first steps to binding them to my side. After all, if I wanted them as reliable long term allies, it would take some time and a lot of effort to convince them that my plans were not only necessary, but something that they should support of their free will.

"What's your plan, because what you stated were the end goals?" Padme asked.

"Why, it is simple and obvious. We reform the Republic!" I declared.

"That's certainly a bold statement!" Padme gave me a wary look.

"Oh, I'm aware of that. It will be painful and rocky process, but stunts like the invasion of Naboo and nothing being done about it... Such things can't be allowed to happen ever again."

"That's a low blow, Veil," Padme glared at me.

"That makes it no less true. We need to eradicate the corruption crippling the Senate, and that's something in which you would be invaluable," I flattered her.

"He's kind of correct, Padme. If this war is to end, we need to solve the problems that caused the creation of the Separatists. A lot of their grievances were genuine..." Shaak Ti said.

It was pleasant to see that she had her head out of the sand and knew that the Republic as it was, was one monumental train-wreck in progress. Or at least she was starting to suspect it.

"So, how would we theoretically go about fighting the corruption on the higher levels of the Republic's government?" I asked the Senator.

Padme frowned for a time then she started speaking.

**=RK=**

**Later that night**

**Primary Republic R&amp;D Complex**

**Coruscant**

A few hours after the dinner was concluded, successfully at least in my opinion, I went to check up on a pair of projects, which would be combat tested during the coming assault on Geonosis.

It took me a lot of time to pass through all the now mandatory security checks in order to enter the complex, but I finally reached one of the "dark" rooms, from where I could access the data.

_Login: Veil, Delkatar; Codename: Rogue Knight_

_Password: ****************_

_Day's Codeword: Purple Midnight_

_Scanning..._

_Voice-print Confirmed..._

_Retinal Scan Confirmed..._

_Biometric Scan Confirmed..._

_DNA Scan Confirmed..._

_Deep Scan Concluded... No foreign objects detected..._

_Access Granted, General_

_Voice Command Input active..._

"Display status of Project Helldiver," I ordered.

_Accessing data banks... Searching..._

_Data Found... Warning... _

_All files pertaining project Helldiver are classified under Codeword Crimson Sonata... _

"Ident Bloody Harvest."

_Codeword accepted... Displaying files..._

_Project Helldiver... Status: Phase 1 ready for combat trials_

_Phase 2 on stand by pending High Command approval and combat data from Phase 1_

"How many units will be ready for Geonosis?"

_Phase 1 prototypes approved for limited production run... 1000 +/- 5% completed units expected in allotted time period..._

"Splendid. Approval for preliminary funding of Phase Two is granted. Log off Project Helldiver. Access Projects Ascension and Rebirth."

_Accessing data... Warning Project Ascension is protected under Codeword _

_Black Dawn... Warning Project Rebirth is protected under Codeword Black Sunrise..._

"Ident Shadow Contingency. Ident Last Resort."

_Codewords Accepted... Displaying Files..._

_Project Ascension... Status: Phase 2 Complete... Phase 3 is ready for implementation... Selecting volunteers is currently in progress... Estimated time to completion: Two galactic weeks..._

_Project Rebirth...Phase 1 is in progress... Analysis of gene sequences 30% complete...Research of Genetic Modification procedures in progress... Estimated time to completion: N/A_

"Raise priority on Project Ascension. I want the procedures to begin within the week. Log off Projects Ascension and Rebirth. Access Project Dragon."

_Accessing Data... Warning Project Dragon is protected under Codeword Crimson Tide..._

"Ident Whirlwind."

_Codeword Accepted... Accessing Data..._

_Project Dragon.., Status: Phase 1 : Preliminary design complete... Phase 2 : On stand by pending completion of projects Phalanx and Hermes..._

"Good enough. Log off Project Dragon. It's time to catch some shut-eye."

_Logging you off... Query unclear... Please repeat request..._


	51. Chapter 19 Part 1 Betaed

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

****AN: This part was betaed by Mighty Bob on the Space Battles forums! Thank you for the excellent work and the time you took to beta this update!****

****Phase 19: Operation Anvil****

****=RK=****

****Interlude****

****GR: ****_"Second Geonosis? Yes, that name brings back some memories. It was a trap. Just like Ryloth, at least that was the Sep's plan. Even before the Skywalker Affair, the CIS had placed bait we couldn't refuse on that world. A __massive __factory __complex__ to produce __an__ experimental class of war droids was nearing completion there. __For our enemies, it was a way to leverage one of their strengths – the mass production of troops. Once online, that single site could shift the balance of power even further in the CIS__'__ favour._

_Further, in the months since the war began, the Separatists fortified the whole world to a such __a__ degree that any attack would bleed us dry. Defence belts __that__ incorporated kilometres thick trench lines, thousands of heavily armoured and sometimes shielded bunkers, extensive minefields ... Whole mountains turned into veritable fortresses...Not to mention strong theatre shields over all critical __locations__..._

_All that and more, was manned by three whole army groups in addition to the natives forces. The conservative estimate was that at least two million plus droids waited for us down there. That is, if the Navy could actually fight its way through the CIS space forces and get us into that meat-grinder."_

**TL: **_"While a lot was said and written about the Geonosis Campaign, I would like to know about something that was missed by the spotlight during the war. Many people saw attacking Geonosis as a fools' errand. Something that the Republic armed forces simply couldn't pull off at the time and as you said yourself, the place was set up as a trap. Do you know how the powers that be reached the decision to attack, General Rex? How the Skywalker Affair affected that decision if at all?"_

**GR: **_"How Veil and Valentra convinced the Chancellor to green-light the operation you mean? Yes Geonosis was a trap, one that even in the best case scenario would cost us too much in men and equipment. Though let me say something else first. What happened with the Skywalkers had no bearing on the decision to attack. The plans and necessary forces were already in place before that debackle. If anything, it just moved the timetable up a bit."_

**TL: **_"So Operation Anvil would have gone down anyway?"_

**GR: **_"Yes. The reason is simple. Where most people saw a lethal enemy stronghold, one that would prove too costly to take, General Veil saw an opportunity. Every enemy advantage I spoke about, well he saw that too... However, he had a different point of view. Those massive enemy forces? Three whole army groups, conveniently gathered in one place to be destroyed. Most of those heavily defended places all around Geonosis? Heh..."_

_** Excerpt from interview given by General Rex**_

**=RK=**

**Part 1**

**Temporary Chancellor's Office**

**Location Classified**

**Coruscant**

"Absolutely not! It's too dangerous!" Skywalker snapped.

Palpatine smiled at the people in his office in a grandfatherly way. "I agree with Anakin, my Jedi friends. Risking a Senator's life in such a way..." he trailed off, sadly shaking his head.

At the same time, behind his mental shields and gentle mask, Sidious was almost cackling with glee. He had some problems that might just solve themselves with a bit of improvisation. As a bonus, he could create a permanent rift between Anakin and the Jedi... Perhaps between the boy and Veil as well.

All the while, removing someone who had been a long time thorn in his side. The most amusing part was, that all he had to do was let his "friends" be themselves.

"That's not for any of you to decide!" Padme snapped at them both.

Just as expected.

"Senator Amidala... Padme. I've been your friend for many years. Please trust me in this. The stunt proposed by the Jedi Council, while having good intentions at its core, is less than wise. Granted, the negotiations on Cato Neimodia are important..."

"If there is any chance to prevent the further use of biological weapons in this war it is worth it! Even the Intelligence agencies agree, after the outcry the Separatist's Council want to stop this madness from repeating itself!"

"That doesn't mean that you should be going, Senator!" Anakin pleaded.

Sidious almost sneered at Skywalker's display of weakness. That woman was holding back his potential next apprentice and Sidious would relish disposing off her when her demise would have the greatest impact. Which, if everything went well would be soon.

"Skywalker! Don't give me this! Not after everything that happened on Naboo and even here on Coruscant! Besides, if Clovis used to support the Separatists we need to know! If he still has contacts there, it could prove invaluable!"

That was the second reason she would want to go. Thanks to her misguided principles, Palpatine was convinced that Amidala would try to bring her old friend back to the side of the Republic. Such a naïve girl. After the bio-weapon's attack, Clovis' support for the CIS was a death sentence if it went public, which with little blackmail and manipulation made sure that the man would serve one last purpose. After all, Palpatine couldn't allow one of his pawns to walk away when he had a change of heart.

"Unless I place you under house arrest, you would be going, aren't you?" Palpatine spoke, letting a tinge of resignation enter his voice.

Padme fixed him with her piercing gaze.

"Fine! At least take some precautions!" he seemingly capitulated.

"Chancellor!" Skywalker exclaimed.

"What? You should know this young lady well enough by now, my friend. When she set's her mind on something, there is no stopping her."

"Men!" Padme grumbled.

**=RK=**

**Alpha Site**

**GAR Special Operations Command C&amp;C **

**Location Classified**

**Coruscant**

"No rest for us, eh?" Fixer mumbled.

"Boss! That can't be right! We aren't babysitters!" Sev whined.

"I'm not amused either, brothers. Nevertheless, our orders stand. We are to make a covert insertion at Cato Neimodia, and provide over-watch on one particular senator from the delegation which is there to sign a treaty banning the further use of biological agents for the duration of the war."

"Who's the lucky guy?" Scorch asked.

"Gal. Senator Amidala."

Fixer whistled. "That's one tough girl."

"Oh, great. The danger magnet..." Sev moaned. "She's always on the news after getting in some kind of scrap! How are we supposed to keep her out of trouble?!"

"We aren't. Delta squad and as yet unnamed assets will be there in case everything gets kriffed beyond any hope, in General Veil's words. In such a case we are to grab her and get the hell out at any cost. Those orders are straight from the General."

"Is she his girlfriend or something?" Scorch asked.

"It doesn't matter. We have our orders. Now finish checking your gear. We are heading for the shooting range in five!" Boss ordered.

"Yes, sir!" three voices snapped in unison.

**=RK=**

"**Emerald Light" Restaurant**

**Atton' Tower**

**Corellia**

"General Veil, it's my honour to introduce you to Diktat Shyla Merricope!" Bel Iblis declared with a flourish.

I gave a respectful bow to the leader of Corellia's people.

"Governor-General Merricope, it is pleasure to meet you. I've heard a lot of good things about you from this reprobate!" I smiled and nodded towards Iblis who chuckled in turn.

The Diktat answered with a well practised smile of her own, continuing the little performance for the media we were all performing. It was the way the game was played and we all had to walk through the motions, to reassure the populace that all was as well as could be expected and we all were a bunch of good friends.

Which meant that we spent about twenty minutes making small talk, mingling with Corellia's dignitaries and making the newsies' day; all while, the stern faced men and women from CorSec who were responsible for the gala's protection had to wonder who if any of the guests, restaurant's personnel or mingling reporters might be enemy spies or assassins.

While the locals were some of the better security forces in the galaxy, if I actually needed protection (heh with my luck what were the odds of that?!), the role of my bodyguard would fall to the gleaming black droid which was spending the evening behind me.

Yeah. I had brought an Assassin droid among Corellia's elite and none was the wiser. Sue me.

To be honest, right then and there I was temped to let HK go on a little killing spree. We, and by that I mean, the Diktat, Iblis and me, were surrounded by a bunch of Corellian corporate sharks, who were bombarding us with hints how their respective mega-corps could prove invaluable assistance to the Republic in her hour of need. With a pair of clowns actually dropping none too subtle hints that if any lucrative contracts went their way I might find myself considerably richer.

If the imbeciles weren't so blunt and making such an offer in public, I might have considered it. If they could actually prove useful for my Army and Navy, then that would be great. Besides, I could always use more funds for my black ops budget. That's why I made a mental note to meet later with the corporation representatives who appeared to know what they were doing.

"I hear you ran into some kind of trouble at the Spaceport, General?" the Diktat inquired, after we managed to ex-filtrate ourselves from the corporate flunkies' clutches.

"All things considered, it was a fortunate accident, I admit." I chuckled.

"A little rascal trying to pickpocket you? How's that fortunate, Delkatar?" Gram asked.

"Well, you see..."

**=RK=**

**Flashback**

**Earlier that day**

"**Lacrisca" Spaceport**

**Corellia**

I've arrived on Corellia a few hours before the rest of my party, something that pissed off Commodore Pellaeon and my security detail. However, that wasn't particularly big concern right now. I was reasonably sure that I could finish what I came to do and be back by the time my official visit started.

"Let's go, HK," I said.

The pitch black droid which accompanied me turned his head towards me and nodded once. While he could be mistaken for an archaic looking protocol droid, an actually competent counterpart of C-3PO, my oldest surviving friend was anything but. He was a lethal machine created by the best Empire engineers...and then, once I stumbled upon him below the Jedi Temple, upgraded with what passed for cutting edge technology in this day and age.

"Its been a long time, master. Do you think there's anything left?" HK asked.

"There is a monument for those fallen in the war near the site of our last battle here. It will have to do."

"I still can't believe that we lost that war!" HK whined, his head dropping down.

"We really didn't. Not exactly. By the time the Empire collapsed into civil war, the Old Republic had been all but defeated."

"So they got lucky."

I finished shuttling down and securing the shuttle before heading back outside, followed by the quiet Assassin droid.

Setting my feet back on Corellian soil was strange. The last time I was here, during the war, I was leading my forces into capturing this world. Successfully at that. That particular information wasn't something I wanted spread far and wide. It would create some political troubles I didn't need.

The spaceport itself was what I was expecting. A busy place making even the most heavily used airport on earth look like a calm lake in comparison. The place was packed with people, and while it had heavy CorSec presence, I could move virtually unnoticed. Just another traveller minding his own business and his droid. No sire, nothing to see here!

My outfit, which was a plain grey cloak, and with its hood hiding my face probably helped in that regard.

Everything was going so well, I believed for a moment that I just might be able to reach the memorial site of those fallen during The War without incident.

Silly me.

What happened was certainly unexpected. As one could guess, no one was dumb enough to try it ever since I became a Sith, while before that I had nothing to be stolen from me. So when a kid, no older than twelve, "accidentally" bumped into me and deftly tried to swipe the contents of my pockets, I was one very surprised Force Adept.

My first reaction was to grab his shoulder before the little reprobate could try getting away and then to slap him upon the head for being this foolish. Before I could do anything but catch him, the boy looked up, giving me fierce glare.

"The Force really works in mysterious ways, youngling." I laughed.

The kid's features were unmistakable, especially when not too long ago I had met Captain Jolee Solo in person.

"Don't even think about it!" I ordered and the kid flinched, but remained still. I was sure that the little menace was contemplating kicking me in the shins and running away. "I'll make an educated guess. Your name is Han."

The way his eyes widened was all the answer I needed.

"What seems to be the problem, sir?" a CorSec officer with sergeant's stripes walked towards us and asked.

"This one tried to pickpocket me. Quite deftly too."

"Ah. Another one of those. Well take care of the problem, sir."

"That won't be necessary officer. I'll handle it." I said, reinforcing my voice with the Force.

"That won't be necessary. You'll handle it," he repeated like a broken recorder, shook his head and walked away.

Han's eyes narrowed at me and he suddenly went limp in my hand. "You are a Jedi, right?" he moaned. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" he started chanting.

"The only fool here is whoever put you to this stunt. Your place is at school and you'll be going there soon enough."

"What?!" Han exclaimed, with a horrified expression on his face. As if I just declared that I was going to kill him or something. Kids...

**Flashback End**

**=RK=**

"**Emerald Light" Restaurant**

**Atton' Tower**

**Corellia**

"What do you intend to do with the kid?" asked a new voice. It belonged to someone quite powerful in the Force. A local Jedi who had been lurking around the restaurant and remained far away from me until now.

"Reunite him with his uncle, once Jolee arrives here and make arrangements that he goes back to school. So you are one of the infamous Green Jedi. I haven't yet the honour of meeting one of your kind. It's a pleasure, my lady." I smiled at the woman.

She was looking great in her form fitting green robes, which were actually designed by someone who knew what he was doing in contrast to what most of the Jedi I knew wore. Her short black hair was tastefully framing her face, giving the illusion of a halo of all things. Further, from what I could sense, she wasn't attempting to suppress her emotions. Oh, she was shielding her mind and feelings as well as she could, but it was obvious. Yet, she wasn't letting her emotions to control her, just the opposite. She was in complete control of them, at least for now.

Just moments after actually meeting one of the local Jedi, and paying attention to her, they had got my attention. A Jedi who might be actually competent!

"I'm afraid I'm at disadvantage, my lady. General Delkatar Veil at your services."

"Jedi Knight Scerra Halcyon," her voice was calm, betraying nothing of what she felt. Her soft brown eyes were fixed on my face, studying me in return.

My eyes widened at that. I had to deal with a few people bearing that name in the past, during the war. Needless to say, they were major pains in my ass. Let's hope she wont be the same.

"It's a pleasure, Knight Halcyon. Pray tell, would it be possible for me to visit the Green Temple during this trip?" I asked, showing none of the eagerness I felt at the prospect. If she was anything to judge her fellows by, they were people I wanted to meet.

"It's not up to me," Scerra shrugged. "I will rely your wish to the Jedi Masters and we'll see."

"Fair enough," I beamed. It was better that what I had any right to expect.

"I believe that Delkatar meeting our own Jedi would be a splendid idea!" the Dictat exclaimed. "On that note, now that Corellia is officially in the war, would you assist us?"

"That much I can confirm, yes," Halcyon said. "However, most of us aren't trained as leaders of troops. We would do better leading small strike teams or acting as advisers and diplomats."

My smile widened at that. The Green Jedi were also well aware of their capabilities and weakness. That immediately made me even more interested in them while I raised the potential threat level they represented.

**=RK=**

**Senator Lott Dod Residence**

**Cato Neimodia**

In the biggest ballroom in Dod's residence, five Republic representatives mingled with some of their CIS counterparts. Even in those perilous times, diplomacy had its own pace and rules. The Grand Gala the politicians were attending was something that was more or less inevitable. They had to show to the media and the masses that they could actually act civilized towards each other at the party.

The host, Senator Dod was staying near one of the walls, from where he could see all of his Republic guests. Lott's eyes were fixed on one particular woman, who was wearing a stunning white gown. Neither the way he looked at her or his carefully blank expression betrayed his true feelings. He respected and loathed Amidala in equal measures. The way she had turned the tables during that ill thought invasion of Naboo had consequences with which he had to deal with up until the start of the war. On the other hand, it was rare to meet political opponents who not only had principles but stood by them, come fire or high tide.

He almost regretted what was about to happen. Almost.

Meanwhile, Padme was dancing with Rush Clovis, laughing dutifully at one of his jokes. Under different circumstances she might have even enjoyed herself, but knowing that the man in whose arms she currently was had supported the monsters who poisoned Naboo was making her sick. Yet, for the sake of their old friendship, she was willing to give him a chance to make it right.

Still, in order to do that she needed to talk with him face to face, without unfriendly ears around. Padme believed that she had recreated their old friendship to a good enough degree for a frank conversation to work. And if not, well it wasn't like Rush was dumb enough to try anything during such a high level meeting.

At the same time, Anakin was seething inside. He was sealed within a clone trooper armor, pretending to be one of the honour guard present for the negotiations. That kriffing hutspawn was laying his hands on his Angel! All he could do was grit his teeth and hope that the bastard would give him an excuse, any excuse to go after him.

That and to blame the Jedi Council for placing his wife in such a position! She shouldn't be on Neimodia of all places!

Anakin had a very bad feeling about this stunt they were forced to participate in...

**=RK=**

**Commercial building near Senator Dod's residence**

**Cato Neimodia**

"Boss, Spectre Actual, we have a problem. At least a platoon of commando droids is moving on the floor above the ballroom," Sev said in his comm.

"Copy that. We are ready to provide assistance," If Boss felt any apprehension, his voice didn't show it.

"Affirmative. Our ride out is ready and my men are in position. Just give the word and we will deploy."

"Do you have eyes on the Senator?" Boss asked.

"Just a moment. She is in the far eastern corner of the ballroom. Kriff. Enemies confirmed! Deploy, deploy, deploy!" Sev shouted.

By the time he acquired his first target and pressed the trigger, all hell was already breaking loose within Dod's residence.


	52. Chapter 19 Part 2 Betaed

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**AN: This part was betaed by Uriel, Mighty Bob and Gatemaster on the Space Battles forums. Thank you very much for the splendid work and the time you took to beta!**

** =RK=**

**Phase 19: Operation Anvil**

**Part 2**

**=RK=**

**Senator Dod's Residence  
Cato Neimodia**

Senator Lott looked over the assembled guests, anticipation shining in his eyes. It was almost time. Soon, very soon his ballroom would be a site of a tragic slaughter. One that will claim certain members of the CIS Council. The weak minded fools who plotted the Confederation's downfall!

Even now, when he had seen certain proof of their treason, he could scarcely believe it. Those beings had to be insane! Couldn't they think about the big picture?! They planned not only a treaty to ban the further use of bio-weapons for the duration of the war, something he could agree with, but to eventually try for a peaceful settlement.

Damned idiots! Didn't they comprehend that after everything that had happened, the Republic wouldn't settle for anything less than death sentences or lifetime imprisonment for all of the current CIS leadership? That was pure madness, even if they were responsible for the debacles on Naboo or Coruscant, the rightful leaders of the Confederacy wouldn't surrender themselves to the enemy's mercy. Considering that they were not to blame for those atrocities, the CIS leaders were not going to take the fall. They now knew that there was a third, shadow player in the galactic war so that was who would be blamed for tonight's massacre.

Besides, at least this way the Council's soon to be vacant seats would be filled with people who knew that the CIS and its leadership had only two choices. Victory or Death.

Dod's train of thought came to a screeching halt when he saw one of the clone honor guards dart through the crowd. Before he could react, one of the ballroom's doors splintered, showering the guests with pieces of carved wood.

"Padme!" someone screamed.

The shout was drowned out by the distinct roar of concussion grenades. Lott was thrown down by a nearby detonation. He hit the ground hard, the overpressure wave driving the air of his lungs. The Senator gasped for air and groaned when he felt sharp pain in his ribs. He cursed quietly and decided that it would be safer to remain down and looked around. Many of the guests were on the ground, stunned or worse, others were paralyzed with shock, while some were trying to escape.

Meanwhile, the Republic Honor Guards and his own security detail, consisting of few Super Battle droids and B1's started shooting at each other and the attackers. The sudden battle looked surreal, a feeling strengthened by the ringing in his ears, which robbed him of all other sounds for the time being.

Pure madness, just as planned!

Dod had a few more moments to stare at the deadly spectacle, before one Commando droid pointed its gun his way. The Senator's eyes widened. He opened his mouth to shout, but his scream didn't have time to manifest. Three rapid energy bolts silenced him forever.

**=RK=**

If a Force Adept laid eyes upon Anakin Skywalker during the Gala, she would have seen a pillar of smoldering, barely controlled anger. All evening the Jedi had fought against his rising hatred towards Rush Clovis, all the while his heart was being undermined by jealousy. The way that huttspawned bastard was looking at his wife, the way he held her during their latest, slow and sensual dance... It made Anakin see red. The worst of all, was that Padme appeared to enjoy herself. She was constantly smiling, laughing at that kriffing traitors jokes...

A part of Anakin's psyche was whispering that Padme was just playing a role, just as she did countless times as a politician. Yet, there was something else. A darker, alluring presence that was gaining strength within him. Some times he could almost hear it whispering too, though right now he didn't need to know the words it would say in his ears. The dealing coming from the darkness gathering around him were clear. It was pure, undiluted hatred and anger. It would be so easy to stretch himself through the Force and snap Clovis' neck. Though that would be too easy...

Anakin shook his head in attempt to clear his mind. The darkness surrounding him subsided a bit. To Skywalker it looked like it was disappointed that he didn't grasp the Force and obliterate Clovis.

Then everything stilled. Anakin could feel the Force tensing, as if preparing for something. The world around him appeared to slow down, the guests moving like through thick syrup. He could sense approaching danger, though not it precise bearing or target.

Skywalker cursed, while the shadows surrounding his very being appeared to be laughing at him. He had lost his situational awareness while moping under his armor. The darkness had distracted him. Deceived him.

Anakin's eyes few on his wife, who was still dancing with Clovis, though by now they were almost at the other side of the huge room. Skywalker cursed again and strode towards his wife, using the Force to somewhat gently part the crowd blocking his path.

He couldn't believe how foolish he had been. Veil had warned him that while the Dark Side offered great power, to flirt with it brought equally great danger. Especially for someone who had been trained as a Jedi all his life. Yet, Anakin simply couldn't help it. There were dark places in his heart born from his childhood as a slave. More often than not, the anger came to him uncalled and the Dark Side and its temptation followed suit.

At least now, he had some concept of what was happening when his emotions ran amok as it was happening that evening. So he had a better chance to resist the darkness within himself and not let it rule him.

All those thoughts came to a screeching halt, when the Force screamed with warning. Whatever was going to go down was happening right now and he was still far away from Padme!

The heavy doors at the far end of the ballroom splintered, wood shards racing on the heels of a raging shock wave. Skywalker had a great view of his wife. Of the way the explosion picked her and Clovis up and threw them on the floor under a rain of smoking debris.

"Padme!" Anakin shouted and raced forward.

The Force and the warning she sent his way was the only reason Skywalker survived in the next few seconds. He found himself charging straight into a killing field. The initial explosion had thrown the nearby guests on the ground, leaving him like a beacon for the attacking droids. Moments after retrieving his lightsaber from a secret compartment on his armor and igniting it, Anakin stepped amidst a barrage of concussion grenades.

In the last moment before their detonations, the Republic General used the Force to shove the explosives away. Instant later they detonated, bracketing him with the edges of their explosions. Even that would have been enough to stun a normal sentient being, however as a Jedi, Skywalker was made of sterner stuff.

He merely stumbled, nearly tripping over a downed Bith couple, before regaining sure footing and continuing his charge.

Straight into the sights of a whole platoon of Commando droids.

Anakin Skywalker was good with his lightsaber. One of the best the Jedi Order had. So it wasn't inconceivable that he could meet the odds stacked against him and live to tell the tale.

On the other hand, it wasn't the first time when the CIS droids had faced Jedi or Skywalker himself. The planners of the attack had known that he might be present and they had planned accordingly.

Mere seconds after the attack began, another Commando platoon entered the ballroom, by rappelling from the floor above, straight through the huge open windows of the ballroom. Ten of them few on Dod's security droids and the just reacting Republic Honour guard.

The rest concentrated on a single target and let loose with their blasters.

Skywalker saw the tide of crimson death heading his way a moment before the new droids opened fire. He had a split second to decide his course of action before being shot to pieces. For an instant he entertained the thought of vaulting forward and trying to reach Padme who was still down. However, even if he managed that, such an action would leave him with his back to the new enemies. Yet, to do anything but, would let the first contingent of attackers to reach her first.

Anakin snarled in frustration. The dark cloud which had surrounded him the whole evening flared with new intensity. The closest Commando droids crumbled like tin cans struck by war-hammer, when the Force eagerly responded to Anakin's desire to see those machines erased from existence.

Yet their fellows were undeterred. Time was up. With a shout of anguish, Skywalker jumped backwards, avoiding the first shots of the droids behind him. He turned in such a way, that he could deflect the attacks from both forces.

A black painted droid towered over Padme. The machine knelt next to her and slammed a small device in her arm just before an invisible force hurled him away with enough strength to shatter it onto nearby wall.

Too far any to be of any more help, Anakin stiffened. He could feel it. Liquid agony racing through Padme's veins. Her body convulsing.

The pain seared all traces of dizziness she still felt and brought her back to the world of the living. Something she didn't appreciate. Her eyes opened wide and she screamed like a tortured soul.

The backslash shook Anakin to his very core. While he was aware of what was happening, it was a cold comfort. Somehow he was able to sense what she was feeling. It was agony beyond measure. Whatever that kriffing machine did to her, all her nerve endings were on fire, shooting pain signals to her brain.

It was pure torture.

"PADME!" Anakin screamed again and charged to her side, despite the droids targeting him.

It didn't matter. He deflected the shots from those near his wife, counting on the shields and the laminated armor he was wearing to tide him through.

That worked. Somewhat. The shields held long enough for him to cover half the distance, before blaster bolts struck his back and started carving up the medium armor he was encased in.

He was not going to make it.

That single thought cut its way through his clouded mind. It infuriated him beyond anything he had felt before. Padme laid over there, just beyond reach! Too far for him to help her... He snarled, the fury coiling around him and exploding outwards. It became corporeal, a manifestation of his raw emotions.

Then few things happened simultaneously. The back plate of his armor finally gave away under the onslaught, a weakened shot biting into his back. Anakin stumbled forward, but immediately straightened up and charged forward. Crimson tendrils of Darkness clung to his figure, absorbing the few shots that managed to hit him. For now he was moving much faster than humanly possible, throwing off the droids aim.

He screamed like a man possessed and struck the Commando droids like a whirlwind. His blade was azure blur, leaving scrapped machines in its wake.

Skywalker himself was exhilarated, revelling in the sudden sense of power. He was an untouchable! The damn droids fell under his onslaught as easy as practice targets! He laughed as he bisected a hapless Commando, deflected the shots of another back at it and decapitated a third.

Just like that, it was over. No one was shooting at him, something that felt rather disappointing. Skywalker frowned. He wasn't finished! He wanted, needed to destroy, to revel at the destruction of his enemies. He turned around, his eyes wildly looking for another victim.

As suddenly as it began, the power trip was over. The tendrils of ruby darkness surrounding him faded away and Anakin felt tired. So very tired. Unnatural cold seeped into his body and he felt chilled to the bones. Then what strength he had left, drained out of his body and he collapsed into a boneless heap.

**=RK=**

Boss and the rest of Delta squad were on the same floor as the ballroom. When Sev gave his warning, they shouldered their weapons and sprinted forward. Few seconds later, the Commandos turned a corner. They faced a quartet of SB droids, which had opened the door they were supposed to guard and were making their way in the chaotic mess that was the ballroom. Without pausing the Clones lit up the four machines, their new carbines chewing through the armour of the droids even easier than expected.

"The primary is down. I have eyes on a Jedi masking as a honor guard fighting to her position. The enemy platoon is rappelling down."

"We are moving to assist," Boss said. "Scorch, Ion grenades."

"With a pleasure, Boss!" Delta's commander could clearly hear the glee in his subordinates voice.

When the Republic Commandos entered the ballroom, they found a scene of pandemonium. Many of the guests were on the ground, either stunned or dead. Others were scrambling for the exits, obscuring the soldiers fire lanes. Meanwhile, the droids guarding the residence, the Republic Honor guard and a ten or so Commando droids were shooting at each other, while the rest of the enemy platoon that Sev had spotted, were too busy unloading their weapons at the Jedi.

Boss and Fixer opened fire on their enemy counterparts, while Scorch started lobbing his limited assortment of Ion grenades.

"Our ride out will be here in two minutes," Sev transmitted a message from their backup.

"Good. Any sight of enemy reinforcements?"

"None that I can see from here," Sev answered after a moment's pause, "Though that doesn't mean much."

While that chat was taking place, the firefight was going to its sad conclusion. All sides were in the open, with scarce cover to be had, beyond the stray, panicked civilian who ran straight between the combatants. With predictable results.

A Super Battle droid unloaded its blasters in the side of an Honor Guard. Another mowed down a pair of Commando droids, before succumbing to concentrated fire from their friends. Boss and Fixer were systematically shooting up the CIS special forces, glad that only a burst from the new blasters was enough to put them down for good. Scorch lobed his last Ion grenade and raised his own weapon seeking target.

Across the street, Sev marked his sixth kill for the evening and moved his cross-hair onto another droid, when he heard the distinct whine of repulsors. Not just any odd engines at that, but those of LAAT's. He chanced a glance upwards and saw a pair of gunships racing towards Dod's residence at almost perpendicular angle from the sky. The Clone frowned wondering where did they come from, before shrugging and returning to his sniping. He could ask them later.

Thirty seconds, and four Ionic detonations after Delta entered the ballroom, the short but vicious fight was over. The three Commandos were the only troopers still standing.

"Check the Senator and the Jedi. We need to get out of here ASAP."

"Wilco, Sir!" Fixer answered and sprinted towards the far end of the ballroom with Scorch moving on his heels.

"Boss, our ride home will be here momentarily."

"Roger that. Get your ass here."

"No need for that," a new voice, which sounded just like that of the rest of Delta squad interjected on their comms. "One of the gunships will pick up your sniper. Please do hurry up. We need to get out of here before the whole defence grid and fleet are aware that something is happening."

"Who are you?" Boss asked calmly, not letting any of his surprise be heard.

"Commander Tripton of the Shadow Before Dawn. Now move your asses, soldier!"

"Kriff! This is General Skywalker!" Scorch exclaimed after removing the helmet from the head of the collapsed Jedi.

"Pick him up. We are taking him with us. The Senator?"

"In a bad way," Fixer muttered.

Boss looked their way, engaging the zoom function of his helmet. He could see her thrashing on the floor, screaming soundlessly.

"Knock her out. We are leaving."

**=RK=**

**ONI Frigate _Shadow Before Dawn_**

**Five kilometres above Dod's residence  
Cato Neimodia**

"Delta squad and the VIPs are boarding the LAATs. They will be docked in two minutes top," his XO said.

Commander Tripton gave him a nod of acknowledgement.

"Navigation, spin the hyperdrive. We are heading to location Alpha the moment we can safely jump."

"Aye, aye, sir."

"Weapons, I want firing solution on the defensive platforms and that Munificent hanging out in orbit. I want them nailed the moment our cloak is down."

"I have their locations locked on passive, sir. All missile tubes full, the birds are armed and ready for launch!"

"Good work Weapons. Engineering, redline the reactor once we lose stealth. I want every possible drop of speed when we need it."

The Wookie chief engineer roared in response.

**=RK=**

**"Emerald Light" Restaurant  
Atton' Tower  
Corellia**

I found Scerra Halcyon to be much more pleasant company than most of the Jedi I've met since coming to this time. The fact that she didn't act as if she had a double bladed lightsaber shoved up her butt like most of the Force Adepts I've met in this era sure helped.

We were amiably chatting about the differences between the Green Jedi and their counterparts on Coruscant, something that both the Dictat and Senator Iblis found interesting. It should be noted that both of then, especially Gram had a lot of dealing with Jedi, the Coruscanti type, during their careers, so they were more familiar than most with some differences.

"If it wasn't for the damn politics, we would have gladly dealt with it!" Scerra glared at me.

"Unfortunately, as Dictat of Corellia and political leader of this whole sector, neither I nor my predecessors could really do much to allow our Jedi to take missions beyond our boundaries," Merricope shrugged.

"Indeed. As you well know, the Council on Coruscant has nominal dominion over all Force Sensitives in the Republic... and all Jedi. While the Green Temple and its Jedi do have autonomy, that will only last as long as they confine their actions to our sector of space," Merricope said.

"Despite that, many of our members had done what they could do help with the slavery situation. While we aren't as free to act as our cousins on Coruscant..." Halcyon huffed.

I snorted at that. It wasn't like they did anything with some rare exceptions. Like Skywalker, though even then they had practically stumbled on him. By accident at that.

The Jedi. The supposed guardians of Justice and Freedom across the galaxy. They did nothing about the slavery beyond the Republic's borders. Because it was outside their mandate. I shook my head in frustration. Sometimes they made me sick.

"...we at least could facilitate routes for extraction of escaped slaves in the Outer Rim, and help them start a new life. Though that is much less than we could do if our hands weren't tied, " added the Jedi.

"Let me guess. If you intervened and acted against the slavers, it would be perceived as aggressive action from the Council. Perhaps even a sign that your way has failed and you are all on the verge of failing."

"Not to mention, that there would be a lot of people in the Senate that would use such a thing to Censure Corellia, spinning it as expansionist actions from our side. That is if I'm able to get sufficient backing to declare open support for such a cause. Fighting slavery outside the Republic, while a great thing in theory wouldn't be as popular once the cost of dealing with the hutts becomes apparent. It simply isn't something we can do alone, not without leaving us open for political and economic attacks from our rivals," the Dictat interjected.

"Well, the situation right now is quite different. After Ryloth, we are in undeclared war with the Hutt cartels," I smirked.

"I was wondering when someone would mention that," the Senator muttered. Small vicious smile was hugging the corners of his mouth.

"While right now we aren't in a position for direct offensive actions against them..." I was interrupted by a sudden tremor in the Force. Its very essence shifted, dropped even further into darkness. Next to me Scerra gasped and stumbled.

"Excuse me. I need to check something," I said and made a hasty retreat.

That rising darkness was familiar. It felt like Skywalker just after Padme was wounded, though so much worse.

I cursed quietly while making my way out of the restaurant. I knew that Padme going to kriffing Neimodia wouldn't end well.

**=RK=**

**Kenobi's Quarters  
Jedi Temple  
Coruscant**

Fear. Rage. Hatred. Darkness rising to choke everything. The screams of man and woman.

Obi-Wan shook awake with a gasp. He shuddered remembering what he just sensed through his bond with his former apprentice. Anakin had felt so much hatred, fear and pain before the connection clamped shut, that it scared Obi-Wan. Something had gone terribly wrong...

Kenobi threw away his blanket and surged to his feet. He needed to find out what had happened with Anakin.

**=RK=**

**Chancellor's Office  
Senate Building  
Coruscant**

Palpatine was sitting in his rebuild office, dealing with his daily paperwork, something even he couldn't get away from, when he felt the Force tremble.

"So it begins," he whispered quietly.

Soon enough Skywalker will be faced with a terrible choice and the Jedi would act as their typical selves, alienating him once and for all. Unless he missed his guess, even Veil's actions couldn't really help the boy. After all, the good General was a competent strategist and tactician. He simply couldn't, wouldn't make the necessary sacrifices to save one single Senator.

Veil was a Sith after all. Sidious was sure that he would grasp the chance to get himself rid of the troublesome Senator.

He smiled. If he guessed right, Veil would make sure that she never got the antidote and blame it on the Jedi, even if he made some effort to retrieve it in the first place.


	53. Chapter 19 Part 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**AN: This part was betaed by Mighty Bob and SuicideJunkie on the Space Battles forums! Thank you very much for the time and effort you put in cleaning up this update!**

**AN 2: I've been sick for more than a month and a half now, so that's the reason I haven't updated any of my stories. I know that this is a pretty short update, but its an attempt for me to get back into writing. Please tell me what you think.**

**Chapter 19: Operation Anvil**

**Part 3**

**=RK=**

**Medical Wing**

**Green Site**

**Somewhere in the inner rim**

"You did a good job, doc. Keep her stable."

"We can do that much, General. Unfortunately, it will take some time to fully analyze the compound in her blood and create an antidote."

"I expected that much. How's your other patient?"

"General Skywalker? His wounds are healed but we are keeping him under just as you instructed."

"Splendid. I was relieved when at my arrival I found this facility standing. You don't want to deal with a grief maddened Jedi of Anakin's temperament and power."

"That bad? I've heard some interesting stories about him, yet..." the Duros doctor shrugged.

"Well, his wife has been getting herself into a lot of trouble lately. That combined with the strain of leading troops in the war and balancing it all with his duties as a Jedi…" I shook my head. "No matter. It's time to wake him. I need to have a chat with our young Jedi friend."

"Ah. Of course, General. I'll see to it."

**=RK=**

A medical droid that looked like an overgrown floating spider made its way to the bed where Skywalker was slumbering. Its servos whined softly as it extended one of its manipulators and administered a mild stimulant to the sleeping Jedi.

A few moments passed with no apparent change. Then I could feel the Force in the room stirring, slowly gathering around Anakin. He then grasped it, using its endless energies to revitalize his body. Suddenly Skywalker gasped.

"Padme!" Anakin bolted upright with a shout. His wide eyes were scanning the room for his wife.

"Try again."

His eyes focused and he glared at me. Skywalker tried getting off the bed only to stumble and fall to the ground. Obviously the sedatives were still strong in his system, despite his Jedi resilience.

I grimaced at his antics and grabbed him with the Force, returning him to the bed none too gently.

"We need to talk. That daredevil wife of yours placed us in a tough position."

Well, that's new. He actually growled at me. His eyes even flashed yellow for a moment.

"Padme. I need to see her. I can feel her pain!"

"She'll live. For now. Keeping her that way may prove complicated."

His glare intensified, but at least I had his undivided attention.

**=RK=**

**Venator Cruiser "Chimera"**

**Staging area "Gray"**

**Outer Rim**

My eyes glanced around, briefly stopping over each person in the conference room. Skywalker, Kenobi and Admiral Yularen were here with me in the flesh, while General Valentra, the Chancellor as well as Yoda were present via holocom. It was a small gathering, one that was about to decide the fate of a whole planet and one particularly troublesome Senator. So far everything was proceeding as expected. Ironically enough, under different circumstances I would be in complete agreement with the Jedi, who were in the middle of committing a grievous mistake.

I had to fight a grin, which was trying to spread across my face, regretting that right now I wasn't wearing my helmet.

I wish I could say that I'm surprised. The Jedi were about to burn their bridges as far as Anakin was concerned, without even realizing it. In the meantime, Palpy was doing his best to help them along. While subtly giving me enough rope to hang myself as far as any ambitions towards becoming Skywalker's master were concerned.

Just as foreseen and planned for.

"I understand, Master Yoda. The Jedi won't compromise their principles on this issue," said the Chancellor, copious amounts of regret dripping from every word. "Is there something that our armed forces can do?" his image turned my way.

"If this information is correct, the facility where the antidote might be located is at one of the most heavily defended regions of Geonosis. That's not a place where our special forces could do a smash and grab run and we don't have enough time to even attempt an infiltration," I shrugged. "We can't take that place without reducing the Separatists space assets and then fighting through whatever they have waiting for us on the ground."

"Kriff it all to hell! You are just going to let her die!" Skywalker, who had been seething for the whole meeting, exploded.

"Anakin!" Kenobi exclaimed. "Keep your feelings under control."

"Under control!? She is parsecs away, unconscious and I can still feel her pain!" Skywalker roared. The Force itself shimmered around him, swaying from his fury.

Anakin glared at us, then turned around and stormed out of the compartment. He didn't notice the effect his parting words had on the Jedi. After all, you didn't just form such a strong force bond with just a friend, especially if that person wasn't force sensitive.

"Now, that the personal drama is out of the way," I frowned at the Jedi, "we still have battle plans to discus. Chancellor, can I count on additional reinforcements for this operation? With the current force dispositions heavy casualties both in space and on the ground are all but guaranteed..." I trailed off, pointedly disregarding the troubled looks passing between the Jedi.

"What about Anakin?" Obi-Wan exclaimed.

I gave him a deadpan look. "He obviously needs to cool off. If you mean about his relationship with the Senator, well that's none of the Army's business so long as it doesn't interfere with his duties as a general."

Kenobi glared my way and stalked after his former apprentice.

"Perhaps we could scrape up some additional support for this operation..." Palpy mused, pointedly ignoring the byplay and effortlessly taking the moral high ground.

"I'll see what I can do. I may be able to free up few units here and there from secondary theaters." Valentra added his two cents.

With that, the conversation drifted back on topic – the impending assault on Geonosis. Now all that remained to be seen was which way Anakin would jump. I had subtly pointed him in the desired direction during our last conversation, shamelessly manipulating the poor kid.

**=RK=**

Skywalker left the briefing room, barely keeping a lid on his fury. Unless he did something… Anakin growled. While he was assured that right now Padme wasn't in any real danger of dying, her mind was another matter. He could feel her pain even here, parsecs away. By the time the Force cursed poison was out of her system it was an even toss if she would be sane or not. The worst thing was that Skywalker actually knew that Veil was right… from a certain point of view. The other general simply couldn't justify throwing the whole assembled fleet and attached ground forces into the teeth of the CIS defenses on the off chance they could get to the antidote. His hopes that either Veil or a Jedi healer could help Padme were dashed when he was informed that apparently whatever she was dosed with, reacted really bad at attempts to be removed using the Force.

That only made things worse for Anakin. Sith spit! In Delkatar's shoes he might have done the same thing, and yet… The young Jedi reached an elevator and used the Force to smash its call button. He paced restlessly while waiting for the turbolift.

Anakin couldn't help but feel betrayed. By the Jedi, by the Republic… and by Veil. Padme was everything for him, yet they all were ready to throw her away. The reasons, no matter how compelling and logical didn't really matter to Skywalker. She was his wife, the love of his live. In the end everything else paled in comparison to her importance.

The elevator's doors slid open and the Jedi stalked in, grateful that it was empty. He really didn't want to be near anyone but his wife right now. Anakin saw Obi-Wan walking briskly his way and was grateful when the doors closed while the other Jedi was still at the other end of the long corridor. He really didn't want to be anywhere near his former master. Skywalker simply didn't have the energy for another argument right now, especially considering how angry he was at everyone.

Kriff it all, it wasn't like anything but helping Padme mattered. But how?! He groaned and leaned on the cool wall of the elevator. What was he supposed to do? Anakin needed a way to help his wife and damn the consequences!

He briefly considered surrendering in exchange for the antidote but almost immediately disregarded that idea. It wasn't like he could trust the enemy to hold to their part of such a bargain. What did that leave him with?

Skywalker exited the turbolift once it stopped and wandered aimlessly through the ship, deep in thought. He needed to somehow get to the ground and the place where the cure was held. An impossible task for even someone like him. No matter how good a pilot he was, Anakin knew he wouldn't be able to slip through the waiting fleet, not to mention the army on the ground. Not alone at any rate.

He frowned at that thought. This was the heart of his problem. He couldn't reach his objective without a fleet at his back distracting the CIS… Something that was going to be denied to him. A frontal attack over the complex he needed to get to simply wouldn't work. It would cost too much, a price neither Veil and the High Command, nor the Jedi were willing to pay… Nevertheless that was the most expedient way to reach his objective and time was of the essence… No one knew how long Padme's mind could hold on…

Anakin found himself in front of a small armored window. He could see scores of capital ships nearby, whole wings of fighters and bombers patrolled around them like moths around the behemoths. A whole fleet that was no use to him or Padme…

'What would you do to save her?' a voice whispered in his mind.

"What?" Skywalker glanced around. He could almost hear someone whispering in his ear yet there was no one around, that he could sense with the Force anyway.

He shook his head. What indeed… Anakin's sight drifted to the window and the assembling fleet beyond.

**=RK=**

My comm beeped while we were still discussing the fine details of the upcoming offensive.

"This better be important."

"Sir, a battle group is leaving the formation and not responding to our hails."

Ah. So he went after the bait.

"Which ships?"

"General Skywalker's unit, sir."

"That young fool!" Yularen snapped.

All eyes fell on the Admiral. Said battle group was nominally under his command. I glanced at Yoda who suddenly looked all his nine hundred years. The Jedi's ears drooped, he slumped resting most of his weight upon his cane.

"Darker the future is."

"Ahem," Palpatine cleared his throat.

"Skywalker seems determined to force our hand." I stated the obvious. "If you excuse us, Chancellor, Master Yoda. We have a battle to win." I waved my hand and two of the holographic images flickered out.

"What is Skywalker thinking? His ships won't be more than a distraction!" Valentra snapped.

Yularen nodded darkly. None of them was thrilled that Anakin was about to throw away the men and ships under his command.

"We can speculate later. I want the whole fleet ready to depart yesterday."


	54. Chapter 19 Part 4 Unbetaed

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**AN: This part was betaed by Gatemaster on the Space Battle's forums. Thank you very much!**

**Chapter 19: Operation Anvil**

**Part 4**

**=RK=**

**Droid Command Ship "Deathdealer"**

**High Orbit over Geonosis**

General Grievous stood on the bridge of his new ship resembling a statue made of gleaming durasteel. He was surrounded by a veritable host of B1 droids, the fragile machines hunched over their stations. He would have grit his teeth if he could. If he wasn't a cyborg, more machine than man, Grievous would be shaking with unrestrained fury.

He had been outmaneuvered. Outfought. Captured and kept in a jar like an insect by the Republic.

That grated on parts of his psyche he had thought long dead. Even now, when he was surrounded by a veritable armada, clad in new and improved combat chassis, the CIS bogyman couldn't help it. The Republic fleet was approaching and part of him shivered with emotion he had forgotten. Oh, there was the excitement of the impending battle. A drive for vengeance he had never felt before. Nevertheless, there was that small, treacherous voice in the back of his head. The one which was born while he was helpless, crippled prisoner.

It wasn't a fear of death. That hadn't scared him ever since he was an adolescent warrior who had tasted the thrill of battle. But this was something new. The feeling of being helpless. Useless. Something he hadn't felt after he had been rebuild as a cyborg for the first time.

He hated that feeling, almost as much as the Jedi who captured him. That bitch of a Togruta. Oh, how he despised that damned woman! He couldn't wait to get his claws on her, he swore. He would deal with her in due time. Perhaps before the coming battle was resolved if he was really lucky for once.

"Contact!" exclaimed one of the droids monitoring the sensor station.

"Details!" Grievous spat. A tingle of excitement ran up what little nerves he still had functioning. It was time!

**=RK=**

**Venator Cruiser "Coruscant's Pride"**

**Hyperspace**

**En route to Geonosis**

Anakin Skywalker stood alone on the command tower of his new flagship. What he did for Padme. For a forlorn hope at best… It would be viewed as a dereliction of duty if he was lucky. Outright treason if not.

Yet the young Jedi found that he didn't care. Like at all. In the end Padme was all that mattered to him, the whole galaxy could burn in that kriffing war as far as he was concerned. No price was to high to pay for a chance to help his wife. Indeed, he would face the consequences gladly!

Anakin smiled gently and sat on the cool floor, ready to meditate. For a first time in a long, long while he was content. Suddenly his life had become very simple. Very soon, there won't be a need for any more lies and in a sense he would be free. Well, as "free" as someone who was likely to spent a lot of time behind bars, provided he lived through the maelstrom which awaited him at the end of the hyperspace jump.

He had no illusions left.

Anakin closed his eyes and slowly submerged himself within the Force. For some time he simply reveled in the sense of drifting upon the vast ocean of untamed power. Skywalker took the time necessary to center himself, to expand his senses until he could feel all eleven capital ships under his command. He felt the furnaces of their reactors, a cluster of stars drifting through hyperspace. The Jedi concentrated, finding every last one of the clones crewing the ships. Patiently he weaved a web of energy so he was connected with every last one of them. He took a deep breath. He was almost ready.

It wouldn't be long now. Anakin gritted his teeth and bent the Force to his will, substituting raw power where his lack of skill found him wanting. He opened himself to the minds of his men, becoming a nexus. A control hub coordinating their actions and a source of inspiration, breathing courage within their hearts.

It was time. He could feel it with every fiber of his being. Instant later, the captains of his ships knew it too, so did the helmsmen. A single press of a button was all it took and the fleet dropped from FTL, crashing back in real space.

**=RK=**

**Droid Command Ship "Deathdealer"**

**High Orbit over Geonosis**

Grievous stared at the eleven ships that dropped from hyperspace almost on top of his formation. If he was in a part of the ships with viewing ports he would be able to see them.

"Open Fir-" his angry order was interrupted by a hammer blow throwing him to the ground. Sirens shrieked across the bridge, announcing that the shields had failed. "Return fire!" shouted the cyborg. He used his metal claws to anchor himself to the deck and stood up. His eyes darted towards the holotank, showing the disposition of his forces.

The Republic ships were deployed in three rings, each made by a trio of Venators, with two more cruisers in the center. The unconventional formation resembled a drill of all things, the impression made more striking by the way the enemy craft were rotating. The CIS commander made the connection almost immediately. The Venators were maneuvering in such a way that each of them would be exposed to concentrated weapon's fire for a short amount of time. It wouldn't last long. Not with Grievous having such an overwhelming advantage in firepower and numbers.

Not that the kriffing Republic scum seemed to care. What was worse, they were inflicting damage vastly out of proportion. His ship was crippled, the alpha strike had breached the shields in multiple places, slagging all the heavy weapons "Deathdealer" could bring to bear without rotating on 180 degrees.

They didn't waste time on delivering a killing blow, instead with unnatural precision, the enemy cruisers were concentrating their fire from one target to the next, leaving crippled hulks in their wake. Grievous seethed. The battle group accompanying his flagship should have been more than enough to deal with eleven Venators. Yet, in the span of few minutes, four Battleships were crippled, their shields locally overwhelmed, their heavy weapons slagged.

"Tactical! Move Third, Seventh and Eight wings in an englobement maneuver!" Grievous snarled. He needed to deal with this distraction before the rest of the Republic fleet came calling.

"Roger, roger!"

**=RK=**

**Venator Cruiser "Coruscant's Pride"**

**High Orbit over Geonosis**

Anakin hissed in pain as he felt more of his men die. Under different circumstances he might have patted himself on the back for the decision not to come directly to Geonosis, but to stop halfway and leave most of his ships with only skeleton crews. If the nine Venators in the outer shell of his formation were manned as usual, Skywalker had no doubt that he would have passed out from the backslash, dooming them all.

As it was, his body was on fire, his head was doing its best to split open in pain. The Force itself was struggling against his grasp, while he was doing his best to channel it to fuel his Battle Meditation. The technique was harder than anything he had ever attempted. He had to strain his senses to their limits, careful to influence only those of the crew who were actually fighting his ships, doing anything more and he would be a helpless heap twitching on the deck.

Anakin swayed, almost planting his face in the metal floor as a wave of dizziness hit him, yet he persevered. By this point it was his sheer stubbornness that kept him going. That and his love for Padme, which he was using as a fuel to keep his technique going for as long as his body would last.

Skywalker grinned, paying no attention to the thin streams of blood leaking from his eyes and ears. Anakin was an embodiment of his fleet, wielding it with the precision of a laser scalpel.

Another alpha strike and the fifth and last battleship between him and the planet was a drifting cripple, leaving twenty odd frigates in his way, with twice that number left as burning wrecks behind him. Now he needed to dispose of those before the three battle groups racing to intercept his formation were in effective range.

**=RK=**

**Venator Cruiser "Chimera"**

**First Assault Fleet Flag ship**

**Hyperspace**

**En route to Geonosis**

The pieces were slowly falling into place. Soon enough I will practically own Skywalker or he would be neutered as a long term threat. Or he'll just die at Geonosis. Either way, another step of my plan will be complete. That left the battle.

In few minutes the fleet will drop from hyperspace, engaging hopefully disrupted enemy formations. I expected that Skywalker's mad rush would accomplish that much at least, balancing the scales with the ships and people he led in his suicidal dash towards Geonosis. I shook my head. While I planned for him doing something stupid, just appropriating a task force and going to do his own thing was particularly dumb. Unless I led the rest of the fleet on his heels, he and the men who followed him were dead, period.

Oh, I could understand where he was coming from. I wouldn't, _couldn't_ just stand by and do nothing, if my deceased wife was the one suffering. Of course, there were many smarter ways to do it, which incidentally would increase her chances of getting the antidote by a large degree.

Now it was all academic anyway. Anakin had gotten himself in a bind I _might_ be able to extract him from, in which case it would be easy to tie his fortunes to my own. After all, you didn't need to be a fortune teller to know how the Jedi would act once the current unpleasantries were resolved. Hell, as a General of the Republic, even my hands were tied as far as Skywalker's stunt was concerned. Officially at least. Once the battle was over, and provided that he was still somewhat in one piece, Anakin was going to be facing a court martial.

Serves him right for acting like an idiot.

But he was a problem for another time. Now I had a space battle to win.

I closed my eyes and relaxed, letting the Force flow through me. I gently moulted the energies of the Light Side, making sure that they will be healing some of the strain I was about to put on my body. I let my senses float, first touching the command personnel on my ship and slowly spreading out to the fleet. The fact that we were in hyperspace was no hindrance at all. You got to love the Force and the way it bind all things in the universe together.

I extended my will and grasped the raging torrent that was the Dark Side, fueling my powers. Raw energy raced through my veins, the edge of searing pain I should have felt taken away by the light energies saturating my body. Now I had the power in my hand to back up the skills Ashara taught me all those years ago.

One after another, whole ships and their crews fell under my sway. We were a single organism, bound by my will and purpose. I inspired courage and raw determination in my soldiers, leaving no place for doubt or fear in their hearts. They knew what their mates were about to do, whole fighter wings, destroyer and frigate squadrons, even cruiser divisions acting as one. A level of coordination making the best fleet command and control system appear as a joke, in the face of the coordination possible thanks my Battle Meditation.

I grinned. Most people, both enemy and ally,expected Geonosis to be a stand up battle, two of the greatest fleets assembled in millennia slugging it out.

To hell with that! It wasn't to be a fair fight. I was going to cheat as the sneaky bastard I was. And the Battle Meditation was only the tip of the iceberg.

It was time.

_"Begin." _I whispered in the heads of my Flag officers and captains.

A brief lurch and my fleet was back in real space. A holographic tank came to life in front of me, showing a picture of Geonosis and every enemy ship in sensor range. My grin widened. Skywalker had done his job, even better than expected. What was left from his task force, four operational Venators, were being pounded to pieces by three whole battle groups. Another CIS flotilla was crippled in Anakin's wake, only four half operational battleships left amidst the wreckage of one of their sisters and scores of frigates.

I whistled with appreciation. I really didn't believe that the little I taught Skywalker about tactical use of Battle Mediation could culminate into this.

My smile turned feral. A significant portion of the enemy fleet was out of position. Even using tactical hyperspace jump, two thirds of the enemy forces won't get into range as a cohesive group for anything between five to seven minutes.

_"Advance." _All I needed was to think it and my men would follow the order.

Frigate squadrons led the way, supported by destroyers and followed by light cruisers; paving the way for the heavy hitters of my fleet. A swarm of fighters buzzed around the capital ships, waiting to intercept anything that might survive the battle christening of the fully operational Guardian system integrated into every one of my ships.

**=RK=**

**Droid Command Ship "Deathdealer"**

**High Orbit over Geonosis**

Grievous took one look at the rest of the enemy fleet which just arrived, and then turned around and sprinted towards the hangar.

"TK i8, you have tactical command. Contingency Gamma, execute." the cyborg shouted a moment before leaving the bridge. He could scarcely believe it. According to all Intel, the main body of the Republic fleet should have been a few hours out! He knew that Skywalker had went ahead, basically going rogue with the ships that attacked a few minutes ago. But for Veil to have the rest of the fleet follow so fast...

A chill went through what little organic flesh Grievous still possessed. It was a setup. It had to be. You didn't get such a massive fleet moving in the same direction without a notice. Not that fast. No matter how good they were trained. It didn't matter if Skywalker was acting as a distraction by his own will or he was set up as well.

Veil, the kriffing bastard had deceived everyone. Both his chain of command and the CIS intelligence types. It was almost admirable in a way. Which of course meant, Grievous had to kill him before he pulled something else from his bag of tricks.

Meanwhile, he needed to get the kriff away from _Deathdealer_, which would soon enough be used for target practice by the advancing enemy. The battleship and her crippled sisters wouldn't even be able to slow down that many ships. Not with half their heavy weapons gone. On the other hand, they would be able to make the enemy light elements bleed before being destroyed themselves. It wasn't as if Veil could keep his light ships out of range and maintain formation.


	55. Chapter 19 Part 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**AN: This part was betaed by Gatemaster on the Space Battle's forums. Thank you for the great work!**

**Phase 19: Operation Anvil**

**=RK=**

**Part 5**

**Droid Command Ship "Nemesis"  
Third Wing Flagship  
High Orbit over Geonosis**

Admiral Dua Ningo, the second in command of the Geonosis Defense Fleet sneered at the holo display. As expected, that beast Grievous kriffed up. The old Sullustan would never understand why his leaders let that tin can command fleets. Granted, the cyborg was good at killing Jedi and terrorizing the enemy but in space, where it really mattered, the half-man, half-machine was found lacking.

No matter. Grievous was out of the picture for the moment, no doubt busy running for his life while the enemy fleet was advancing towards his crippled flagship.

"All Wings, converge at the closest staging point. All units do not engage the enemy before we've consolidated our forces at points Fell and Trinity." Ningo cut off the general comm channel and tuned his head towards one of the tactical droids acting as his staff. At least those weren't as useless as the run of the mill machines employed by the Confederacy. The damn money punchers in charge simply refused to learn that the war was very hard to win with such inferior equipment, no matter the numbers.

"Give me a time estimate. How long before our forces can consolidate for an attack?"

The droid froze for a few seconds, apparently the strain of computing the information almost overwhelming it. Then it tilted its head and reported. "Within ten minutes we'll have about sixty percent of all available forces. Seven minutes later the rest of the fleet will be in position."

The diminutive Admiral glared at the droid. "That's too long. We need to hit them before they are done with the rest of Grievous' command. We won't get a better chance unless they kriff up by the numbers." Ningo took a deep breath and glared at the holographic display. "We need to slow them down. Launch all fighters and bombers, both on the planet and in the fleet. They will have the acceleration to hit the enemy in the next five to seven minutes. Given the estimate of their new Guardian system, that won't be enough to cripple their fleet but it might do enough damage to slow them down and disrupt their formation."

Admiral Ningo glared at the tactical droid.

"What the kriff are you waiting for?! Do as ordered!"

"Roger, roger."

**=RK=**

**Republic Cruiser "Chimera"  
First Assault Fleet Flagship  
High Orbit over Geonosis**

Admiral Yularen calmly stared at the holographic display showing the disposition of his fleet. It was arrayed in a V formation, made up by three separate battle groups, each build around a single Corellian cruiser. Those three behemoths were the true heavy hitters of his temporary command. Each was a nearly kilometer and half long titan, bristling with weapons and protected by vast armor belts and powerful shields. The Corellian cruisers were leading divisions of Venators, each with their own escort of lighter ships.

The Admiral smiled. This was the greatest concentration of Republic military might in more than a thousand years, and it was under his command. While general Veil was busy, using the Force to somehow boost the morale and coordination of his forces, it was up to Yularen to command the battle.

"Time?" he asked. There was no need to elaborate. He's been working with his staff long enough that they were almost able to read his mind.

"Five point three minutes until Rogue One is in position. We estimate two more minutes for Rogue Two to reform and head our way. Three more minutes until they are in effective range."

"Long enough." Rogue One and Two were the designation of the two groups in which the remaining Separatists forces were forming for counterattack. Unfortunately someone with a brain was in command over there so they declined to send in their ships piecemeal. Which was all right with the Admiral. That left him more than enough time to dispose of the enemy task force that Skywalker had decimated, before engaging the main enemy forces in system.

Even better, the Separatists were granting him a golden opportunity to implement one of the General's underhanded plans for this battle.  
"Take out the weapons of those battleships and execute operation Overlord." Yularen highlighted the targets in question on the holo display. Personally he thought that it was a long shot, but given the potential reward it was worth the risk.

His orders went down the chain of command and new targeting priorities were sent to Invincible's battle group. That particular Corellian cruiser was leading the Vanguard of the fleet and was already in range of the closest enemy units. A Light cruiser squadron, carrying the ONI specialists and their commando escort, sped up, slowly moving forward.

"Now what a competent enemy would do to kriff up our day?" The Admiral smiled and looked at his staff.

"Unless they have heavy reinforcements we don't know about, attacking us before their units are concentrate invites defeat in detail." Lieutenant Felix Olen, Yularen's aide thought aloud.

"True, true. Is there anyone else who wants to try?"

"Hyperspace jumps to form up and then attack us from point blank range?" asked Captain Jaiden Lor, the liaison with the Corellian Defense Force.

"If they were using your ships and crews it would be possible. With Munificents and those ponderous battleships of theirs? And cheap droids as crews? Well, let's hope they try it."

"Send massed bomber strikes with as much fighter cover as they can. It almost worked at Ryloth." Pellaeon spoke from his station where he was commanding his ship and attached Venator division.

"It won't work. Not with the Guardian installed on every capital ship and all our fighters flying CSP*! Even with the software glitches still unresolved..."

"Unless you have tens of thousands expendable fighters to throw at the problem." the Admiral said quietly. "Don't forget that we expect to be outnumbered in fighters alone by a factor of at least ten."

As if Yularen's words were prophetic, the holographic display chose that moment to lit up with red dots. Countless of them.

"I owe the General a hundred credits." Pellaeon chuckled. "His spook buddies did their job for once."

Most of the flag staff looked at the Commodore and Admiral with confusion.

"In every written report after Ryloth, it was stated that the only reason why the Guardian worked as well as it did was because the enemy fighters came in ballistic, greatly diminishing the vectors on which they could evade and still be able to kamikaze the fleet. It was said that the system would have problems tracking and hitting wildly evasive targets and it could glitch if it had to track too many enemy contacts." Yularen explained.

"Well, that's..." Felix was at loss for words.

"What we have installed on this fleet is orders of magnitude better than the prototypes we used at Ryloth." Pellaeon cracked a small smile. "That system is build with this exact scenario in mind." He pointed at the swarms of red dots that obscured Geonosis and the enemy fleet's staging points.

"By the spirits…" one of the sensor operators muttered aloud.

"By all means, enlighten us, Lieutenant."

The human woman gulped. "Sir, that can't be right!" Yularen's smile widened a bit.

"I can assure you, the sensor's are in working order, Silva. Report." Pellaeon added.

"Sorry, sirs. We are detecting in excess of one hundred thousand vultures… and their numbers keep rising."

"Just as planned. Execute Lacoon. Let's prepare a warm welcome for those birds." Yularen ordered.

**=RK=**

**Republic Cruiser "Chimera"  
First Assault Fleet Flagship  
High Orbit over Geonosis**

I allowed myself a tiny smile. That many enemy small craft… If the CIS commander wasn't caught out of position, he could have used them as a hammer to shatter my fleet. He might have very well succeeded.

Now whoever was in charge over there had to make some hard decisions. Either throw most of his fighters and bombers at us to buy time until he had consolidated, or let us dictated the tempo of the battle. Right now we had the initiative and left unchecked could further wreck the Confed's day. I didn't need to look at the holo display in front of me to know the relative dispositions of the fleets. I could feel them in the Force.

Left unchecked we could either make a pass over the planet, bombarding it, a possibility the enemy commander had to defend against, or pounce on one of their two main staging points in which case we could inflict heavy casualties before the rest of the enemy forces caught up with us. Our third main option was to finish mopping up the enemy battle group which Anakin wrecked, hit the orbital defenses and slug it over Geonosis while simultaneously deploying ground forces. It was something often done in this war, sending in the ground pounders while the orbitals were still contested. However that wasn't something I planned to do today, no matter what the official battle plans submitted to the Chancellor said.  
There was a reason why I stripped most of the various fleets currently not actively engaged in combat from most of their light warships and concentrated them as escorts for this operation.

My soldiers were ready. Trained and experienced in the fires of this war. Now it was time to see if my plan was up to the task.

I submerged myself fully in the Force and became a nexus coordinating my fleet's actions.

**=RK=**

**Light Cruiser "Corellian Fury"  
Task Force Lacoon Flagship  
First Assault Fleet  
High Orbit over Geonosis**

"Lacoon. I repeat Lacoon." the Comm officer shouted, unable to contain her excitement.

"You heard the Admiral, boys and girls. Give the word to the freighters. I want the cargo deployed yesterday. The Escort Carriers are to move forward and punch it. I want all birds in the air and in position before those swarms hit us." Commodore Jole Solo ordered.

The grizzled Corellian had enlisted after his ship was shot out from under him at Ryloth. Someone among the Fleet brass had liked what he did during that battle, because he got the rank of Commodore and a vital part to play in kriffing up the CIS bastards. Probably thanks to the General, who had recruited him for Ryloth in the first place.

He owed that scoundrel one. Perhaps two. For a moment, Jole thought about the kid he had been contacted about. An orphan, one Han Solo, a possible relative. If the offensive hadn't been kicked up earlier than planned he would have been back home right now, meeting the lad. Well, that was the plan, just put on hold until some well deserved kicking of Separatist's asses.

"Graawrg!" Traaw confirmed and started growling at the comm officer.

Jole straightened and stared at the holo display. He felt energized, the growing enemy swarm was becoming less and less threatening by the minute. His carriers started launching fighters and the twenty cargo ships attached to his command began releasing their payloads. Each of those behemoths had their holds full with weapons platforms. They were small things, half the size of a snub fighter. However, the platforms packed a mean punch. Each had four small racks with concussion missiles attached as well as dual laser cannons. Great for anti fighter work.

The platforms were caught by the tractor beams of Solo's light ships and carriers, which then made their way to the outer layer of the Fleet's formation. The ships moved as if they had practiced the maneuvers long enough to be instinctive. There were no mistakes, no units or even single craft lagging because they moved too early or late. It was a thing of beauty, which only an experienced spacer could really appreciate. Because only such a person would know how hard it was to pull off that kind of precise maneuvering on a fleet scale.

The Corellian glared at the enemy forces on the display. Soon enough he would extract another pound of flesh from the kriffing bastards that murdered his kin.

"Data-links are online and clear. We are patched into the Guardian Network."

"All birds are in the air and forming in their designated zones."

"Enemy fighters will be entering missile range in sixty seconds."

Three distinct waves of vultures were converging upon the Republic fleet from separate vectors. Their timing was impeccable. The Separatists small craft were going to strike their adversaries within moments of each other.

"Give me estimated numbers on those nuisances." Solo's voice was calm, not betraying what he was feeling, if anything.

"Estimates are on hundred and fifty thousand plus." the sensor officer reported.

His voice was calm, too calm. Jole frowned. For that matter so was he. Even someone like him, who didn't particularly care if he lived or died as long as he avenged his family, should have felt at least some pang of dread at facing that many enemies with untested doctrine and new weaponry, barely out of the experimental stage.

Yet there was no fear. Just durasteel determination to see the mission through. He smiled. 'Perhaps we are all driven mad by the Sep's atrocities and don't care anymore as long as we drag them to the Nine hells with us.' the Corellian thought.

"All fleet elements, weapons free." Yularen ordered.

"Wraaarg!" Traaw roared a battle cry.

The Vulture swarms crossed an invisible line. The Republic fleet lit up, disappearing behind a wave after wave of concussion missiles.


	56. Chapter 19 Part 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**AN:This part was betaed by Gatemaster on the Space Battle's forums. Thank you very much for the great work.**

**Phase 19: Operation Anvil**

**Part 6**

**=RK=**

**Republic Cruiser "Negotiator II"**  
**Battle group "Titan" Flagship**  
**Two hours from Geonosis**  
**Hyperspace**

A single Venator raced on the forefront of a fleet made of Assault Ships and their light escorts. Thirty one Acclamators and twenty four assorted bulk freighters were carrying the army groups slotted to invade Geonosis. Those troops were a mixed bag. More than half of them were clones, born and bred for war. The rest were the cream of a dozen planetary defense forces and militias. As far ranging as Corellian Security officers and the newly formed Ryloth Light Infantry, to Wookie warriors from Kashyyyk, Caamasi Lancers and Anaxxian Rangers.

Turning that mess into a decent fighting force was left to three Jedi Masters. Kenobi, who was nominally in charge, Ki-Adi-Mundi who was a new addition to the Geonosis assault force and Shaak Ti, who was recalled from her semi permanent position as the Republic General responsible for training the Clones on Kamino, among other duties.

"What is that impossible man doing now?!" the Togruta Jedi Master exclaimed.

"Veil? Or Skywalker?" Obi-Wan asked. The Jedi Master was hunched in his chair looking much older than his thirty odd years.

"Master Kenobi, when was the last time you slept, or indeed take a rest?" Mundi asked.

"Yesterday. I think."

"Nope. It was before we departed." Ahsoka interjected. She was the fourth person in the small conference room.

"That figures." Shaak Ti muttered. "Are you trying to kill yourself or is this a misguided attempt at penance?"

"That headstrong idiot was my apprentice!"

"Don't remind me. He's supposed to be my master. An example to follow..." the young Togruta grumbled.

"Well, they both certainly leave an impression..." Master Adi-Mundi added. He glanced in the general direction of Geonosis.

"The planet will still be there when we arrive, right?" Ahsoka asked. Even she could sense the storm in the Force brewing at their destination.

"Probably. Whether there will be much left of Veil once I got my hands on him remains to be seen."

Ahsoka gave a pointed look at the older woman. "Seriously, how long are you two going to dance around it?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Shaak Ti narrowed her eyes at the teenager.

"Uh, huh. So you are only irritated that he left you with the ground pounders instead of being part of the fleet action. Because it's prudent not to risk our entire chain of command during the space battle." Tano's tone of voice made clear what she thought of her excuse.

"It's the logical course of action." Adi-Mundi smirked. The way his lips twitched showed what he thought of that idea. After all, he was one of the very rare Jedi who were allowed to have families. So he wasn't even remotely as clueless as most of his fellows.

"Seriously?! That's what you are talking about just before the battle?" Obi-Wan shook his head in exasperation.

"We have multiple battle plans." Shaak Ti shrugged.

"A lot of contingencies, too." Ahsoka added.

"Besides affairs of the heart are a very much relevant topic considering what's been happening lately." Adi-Mundi smiled at Kenobi. "So Skywalker and Senator Amidala. It's obviously who our other troublesome general is fond off." he nodded at Shaak Ti who gave him a long suffered look. "I'm of course married. So does either of you have a secret affair too?"he waved at Kenobi and Ahsoka.

"You are becoming insufferable in your old age." Obi-Wan groaned. Thanks to Skywalker's affair, he was going to become the Order's running joke. For the first time in his life, Kenobi couldn't wait for the fight to start. If only to get away from these jokers. "I'm going to check on my troops."

Just as the door was closing behind him, he heard something that sounded suspiciously like sniggering.

**=RK=**

**Republic First Assault Fleet**  
**High Orbit over Geonosis**

Ship after ship connected into the datanet. With each new addition, it's capabilities expanded. Additional sensor clusters and targeting computers pouring their resources into a single purpose. The incoming enemy craft were cataloged, scanned and assigned targeting priority.

Point defense turrets rotated, automatic routines checking how well they worked. Missile launchers were uncovered, birds hot in their tubes. Auto-loaders came to life, ready to reloads ready to be plugged in once the magazines ran dry. Then new contacts pinged the datanet, thousands of them, all eager to join the fun. Newly deployed weapon platforms were sending their telemetry, adding their considerable firepower to the Guardian network.

Seconds passed, then minutes. Firing solutions were refined, kill zones established as the Fleet maneuvered to give clear firing lanes for the maximum number of PD emplacements.

Then it happened. The reason Guardian existed.

It started as a trickle. The leading edges of the enemy armada crossed within range. With each passing moment, more and more Vultures were moving ever deeper inside the system's engagement envelope.

Seconds passed, until a signal came. If it was able, the collective gestalt of all Guardian systems within the fleet would have smiled with anticipation. The order was given. Missiles by the thousands, were flushed from their racks, the different fleet elements staggering their launches so no ordinance would be wasted on intercepting the same target multiple times.

An outside observer would have lost sight of the Republic fleet, its units drowned by the light of countless ion engines.

Most of the Vultures, both fighter and bomber variants, broke in wild evasive maneuvers. Just as expected and planned for. Their tempo of approach slowed, the carefully arranged formations breaking before a single weapon struck any of their number.

Salvo after salvo raced against the oncoming swarms, some of the droid fighters dancing in abrupt evasive maneuvers, others continued straight ahead, shooting their laser cannons all the way. No matter how small and nimble they were, missiles started to die due the raw volume of fire, before their guiding systems kicked in a higher gear and started weaving into unpredictable spins and turns.

The void of space was empty no more. A corona of exploding ordinance, blaster fire and torn, shredded Vultures surrounded the Republic fleet. For a few minutes it stood still, the leading elements of the fighter swarms simply disintegrating, massacred by missiles. But that couldn't, wouldn't last. There were simply too many small craft vying for Republic blood. Until in one moment, the halo of shrapnel and broken hull started shrinking, getting closer and closer to the fleet. No matter that the missile salvos were slamming in the swarms faster and faster as the distance got smaller.

Another invisible line was crossed and emerald beams lanced from within the fleet, blasting scores of fighters apart. A volley, a second, then third, each larger, more potent than the last. Yet the Vultures followed their programing, charging straight in the teeth of the Republic defenses, heedless of the losses.

**=RK=**

**Republic Cruiser "Chimera"**  
**First Assault Fleet Flagship**  
**High Orbit over Geonosis**

"Huh. They may actually break through. I didn't really expect that." Pellaeon muttered.

"There are a lot of them. Some will break no matter how good our defensive fire is." Yularen interjected. He was feeling calm despite the horde of enemy contact descending upon his command. "Release the fighters. Punch the platform's missiles. All ships are allowed to maneuver independently within the bounds of their unit's formations. Let's make it harder for the bastards."

"Aye, sir."

In the next few seconds, the sensor display became unreadable as the weapon platforms flushed their missiles too and the CSP broke formation and charged into the fray.

Outside was a bloodbath. Despite being savaged by the missile strikes, the Vultures still outnumbered the Republic fighter contingent by a huge margin. Few seconds before the small craft met, the weapon platforms emptied their magazines, reaping a frightful harvest. The Torrents followed suit, adding to the slaughter. It wasn't even remotely enough. The Vultures didn't even try to engage the Republic fighters. They simply tore through their ranks, absorbing the casualties and taking out as many of the enemy as they could, before proceeding towards their targets. The first fighter engagement of the battle was over in seconds and the Vultures were on their way, leaving the surviving Torrents in their wake.

Only to run straight into a wall of fire as the PD guns spoke as one, turning entire sectors of the surrounding space in a wall of laser pulses. Anything that tried to pass through certain vectors, those usually leading at Capital ships, simply ceased to exist.

The tip of the Republic formation suffered the worst. It was weakened with a score of light ships either crippled or with weakened shields after engaging the remains of Grievous' personal command. Their defenses were overwhelmed by kamikaze strikes, followed by bombers salvoing their proton torpedoes at point blank range, before slamming themselves in their targets.

A frigate went up, then another. A Light Cruiser staggered as a whole wing impacted upon its shields, before twenty torpedoes cracked it in two. For two full minutes it went on and on, a symphony of destruction, until the bulk of the Confederate Vulture force was spent.

Few hundred made it pass the Republic lines.

"Get me the Fleet wide status!" Yularen ordered calmly, as if he was simply asking for a cup of Caf.

If his staff was perturbed by the enemy assault, none of them showed it.

"Thirty one light ships are out of the net. Another two dozen with light to moderate damage. We lost five Escort Carriers and half the freighters, but only couple of Venators have light damage." Captain Lor shook his head in amazement.

"What is our fighter strength?"

"Squadron leaders are still trying to establish contact with their people. We threw so much ordinance around that the sensors won't be entirely reliable until we clear the immediate vicinity. A minute or two and we'll have clearer picture."

"Fair enough. Any estimate on that swarm? How many did we bag?"

"Hundred and fifty thousand. At least." the sensor operator grinned.

Pellaeon whistled. That was about two thirds of the estimated enemy small craft in system.

"Good work, people. Now I want our formations tightened and ready for fleet engagement. Keep the WP's in the net. Their lasers will be useful in taking out the rest of the enemy fighter force. What's the status of Overlord?"

**=RK=**

**DCS "Deathdealer"**  
**High orbit over Geonosis**

"Move! We don't have all day people!" Boss ordered and hurried to follow his own advice by sprinting down the corridor. So far his upgraded armor and shields were shrugging off everything the B1's were able to throw at him and his men, allowing them to advance and crush all resistance without slowing down.

Which was vital. Unless they wanted this whole exercise to be pointless, they had to secure both the ship's central computer core and the comm array before the fleet action began in earnest.

So far it was going reasonably well. It appeared that most of the ship's crew were the flimsy B1's, and those toys were now made woefully obsolete by the new gen of Republic gear. Which, of course, made Boss worry. When a plan was going that smoothly it was either an ambush or as the general was found of saying, that being Murphy was ready to kriff up your day.

Apparently it was the second one. The microphones on his medium armor caught the painfully familiar sounds of rolling droidekas. A lot of them.

"Prep ion grenades. We are about to receive company."

"On it!" Scorch almost bounced in his armor and retrieved the grenade launcher magnetically clasped to his back.

Sev picked a grenade from his harness. Fixer simply gripped tighter the experimental laser that he was carrying around. Their motion detectors picked up the approaching machines and Boss made a sharp gesture. Grenades flew at the junction they were heading to, just in time to catch the destroyer droids as they rolled around the corner. Ion energy flashed in violent release, arching all over the machines and grounding itself in the hull.

The leading elements of the destroyer platoon crashed, violet lighting running up and down their bodies. Most of their fellows were unable to stop in time, piling up in the junction. Fixer grinned and let loose with his combat laser, neatly slicing them in pieces before they could deploy.

Scorch glanced at his friend. "I want one of those too."

"You aren't laying a hand on my new best friend. Go find yourself another one. However it won't be as good!" Fixer gently patted his weapon.  
Boss shook his head. Sometimes his squad was creeping him out.

"We are almost at the computer core. About four hundred meters that way." Sev ignored his buddies and pointed right.

"You heard him. Go!" Boss ordered and sprinted down that way.

**=RK=**

**Droid Command Ship "Nemesis"**  
**Third Wing Flagship**  
**High Orbit over Geonosis**

Admiral Ningo just stared at the holo tank. So much for trusting anything the intelligence types said. His bigger force multiplier was now gone for little to no gain. Hi still had about seventy thousand Vultures, the ones who were simply too far away from the combat theater to join in the first strike if it was to go on time. Even those should have been a decisive weapon to wield. In another battle, against a different fleet, that would have been true. The Republic Admiral however had brought enough screening units to make even such number of fighters far from battle wining force by themselves. Now that he saw how fiendishly effective that Guardian system truly was, he had his doubts if sending all of the fighters together would have been enough. For a moment he considered ordering another small craft sortie but disregarded that plan. While the Republic defenses might be weakened, he doubted that it would be enough to do anything but further bloody their escorts. No. He would use his remaining small craft smarter. Let's see how good that system of theirs is in the middle of a general fleet action.

At least the strike wasn't a complete waste. The enemy fleet had been marginally slowed down, buying him few more minutes to unkriff his forces and coordinate a counter attack. Unfortunately they didn't appear ready to throw themselves at the Gollan II stations and weapons satellites surrounding Geonosis. Ningo thought about falling back to the defensive line so he could add their firepower to that of his fleet. However doing so would leave one of his two forces vulnerable for a strike by the enemy. He still had a marginal edge in capital ships, giving him at least parity in firepower.

"Blood them then fall back to the defensive line and hold them there." he muttered. The Admiral turned his head towards his so called staff. "Coordinate with all wings." He glanced at the holo tank, which was showing his forces, their vectors and the estimated time they would be in position. "We are executing a tactical jump in two and half minutes. Any units that aren't able to get in position before then are to make their way to the Orbital Defense grid."

"Roger, Roger."


	57. Chapter 19 Part 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**AN:This part was betaed by Gatemaster on the Space Battle's forums. Thank you very much for the great work.**

**Interlude: A Jedi Falls**

**=RK=**

**Venator Cruiser "Coruscant's Pride"**

**Low orbit over Geonosis**

To be Anakin Skywalker at that moment was hell. His body was slowly burning from within, his head was swimming in a red haze, and the pain… To be the Chosen One then and there was pure, undiluted agony. Every breath, every time the bridge shook as his cruiser was hit again and again, they all sent white hot spikes of durasteel into his body. Yet, all that torture was a mere sideshow. Because for Anakin Skywalker the real hell was quite different. He felt it all. Each wound his men suffered. Every injury and death sent a backslash through the Force slapping him in the face with iron fist.

Men he had grown closer with than the Jedi who raised him… Anakin was killing them. He betrayed them all and while regretting every moment of it, he felt no remorse. Because no matter how much he cared for his brothers within the 501st Legion, they weren't as important as Padme. He made his choice and it was time to own up to it.

Skywalker smiled tiredly. The Force was raging, a storm ready to sweep everything in its way. Veil was here with the rest of the fleet. So Padme might just be saved. If he paved the way. Then he would be either dead or there would be a hell to pay. Not that it mattered by that point. Skywalker had burned his bridges. The only thing left was to see this through. So he gritted his teeth and through the Force seized control over one of his remaining three Venators. The cruiser shuddered, its thrusters firing and altering his path. The closest Golan II station, which had been pouring its vast firepower at Skywalkers battle group, redoubled its efforts, focusing its fire on the approaching Venator. The Venator's shields collapsed. Weapon emplacements blew away, its armor peeled off. The Golan gave it all it was worth.

It was all for naught. Even as a burning, half dead wreck the _Kuat's Shield_ was more than enough. It slammed through the weakened shields of the battle-station, its armored nose piercing it almost death center. The cruiser's engines continued to burn as more and more of its body were fed into the station, consuming both in series of titanic explosions. Seconds later one of their reactors was shattered and both ship and station ceased to exist in one massive explosion that lit up the whole hemisphere of the world below.

Skywalker's smile faded. He coughed a glob of blood. The thick red liquid was already running freely down his face. He felt numb, the massive shock of feeling every death aboard the Shield becoming a hit too many. He gurgled a strangled cry sensing that the Force was slipping through his finger tips. Anakin shuddered and used his last vestiges of power for one last command. His other ship maneuvered, moving to shield _Coruscant's Pride_ from any and all ground based weaponry with its hull. Then both cruisers accelerated and headed straight at the planet.

On the bridge, Anakin Skywalker crumbled on the floor in a puddle of his blood.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**AN:This part was betaed by Gatemaster on the Space Battle's forums. Thank you very much for the great work.**

**Phase 19**

**=RK=**

**Part 7**

**Republic Cruiser "Chimera"**

**First Assault Fleet Flagship**

**High orbit over Geonosis**

"What are you going to do now, hm?" Yularen mussed.

The hammer blow had fallen and his fleet was intact. Now the Seps' commander had couple of choices to make. To either fall back to the defensive line, which had its problems, or attack. Either was viable tactics in this case. As far as the enemy knew anyway. If the Confeds decided to play defense, that was all right with the Admiral. It would make his job simpler not to mention easier. So what was the worst thing that the enemy could do?

Yularen would have jumped deeper in the system and waited, ready to pounce when the opposing force committed to attack the planet, sandwiching them between the Orbital Defense and the mobile forces supporting them, and the rest of the fleet. If the enemy declined to hit the planet, he could play for time waiting for reinforcements and commencing long range duels before making tactical retreat. That would work for a Republic force, with a battle line centered around Venators, which were quite tough and fast. For the CIS that option wasn't as desirable. Their fastest ships, the Munificents, which made up the bulk of their fleet, were glass cannons. Heavily armed and fast, but suffered in the armor department. Their battleships on the other hands were behemoths, with the weapons and armor to take on multiple Venators, but quite slow in real space. Simply, the CIS units which were tailor made for hit and run attacks were too fragile if sent unsupported, and if kept in formation with the heavy hitters...well then he wouldn't have much trouble in engaging them heavily before their hyperdrives recycled and new jump coordinates were calculated.

When all was said and done, he was confident to get the better off such confrontation. Which really left option two, attack, as the option he had to prepare for.

"Get us in fleet formation Kilo. Lighter elements are to independently maneuver and clear the cruisers firing lanes. What's the status on our fighter squadrons? How long until they are able to reestablish a proper screen?"

"We are working on it. It looks like nearly fifty percent casualties. We haven't been able to reestablish contact with anyone more senior than a squadron leader."

"I see. Do what you can. Guardian status?"

"Green across the board, all missile magazines are being reloaded as we speak."

"Good. Carry on."

**=RK=**

"That was unpleasant." I stated the obvious. Thanks to my formal training from Ashara, I was able to distance myself from the deaths of the people I influenced with my Battle Meditation. Still, it was rather nasty sensation, feeling an echo of their deaths. Even if the dark part of my heart rather enjoyed it.

That said, so far it was far better than the last time I used this discipline. It was during a major battle in the Great War, one that made this one look like a side show. While we won, the strain put me out of commission for weeks. Needless to say I hoped to do better here. Which wasn't unreasonable. Not only was the scale much smaller, but there were very few organics on the other side to influence.

The short lull in the battle helped too, giving me some precious time to center myself and use the Light Side to soothe the strain.

As far as I could tell, Yularen had everything well in hand so I declined from interfering. My assistance notwithstanding, I wanted him and his command staff to be the ones running and winning this battle. Doing so would have a lot of effects. They needed to know that I trusted them to do so, something most Jedi didn't if what I've seen from this war was anything to go by. Further it would show the Republic that they didn't need the space monks in charge in order to win a major victory. That me, a Sith, assisted while there were no other Jedi present was of course a pure accident, one that I would capitalize on later. But most importantly, it would show the troops that I trusted them to get the job done.

The Force stirred. I could feel Anakin going out like a shattered light bulb but I could still faintly feel his presence even after his Battle Meditation abruptly cut off. So he was still alive. Which was good. I would be there to pick up the pieces if he survived the battle and considering how big a hole he had dug for himself, I would own his ass.

Now it was time to get back to work. I submerged myself deeper in the Force and concentrated on the web I've woven around every being in my fleet. My heart sped up as I soothed the emotions of my soldiers and breathed confidence in their hearts. At that moment we were a single entity ready to shatter anything that dared to stand in our way.

**=RK=**

**Droid Command Ship "Nemesis"**

**Third Wing Flagship**

**High Orbit over Geonosis**

Admiral Ningo strapped into his custom made chair, activated the holographic interface that allowed him easier command over the fleet and checked his forces positions. Sixty five percent of the fleet had reached the staging points and was more or less formed up.

"Fleet status?"

"All ships are in the net. Jump coordinates calculated and locked in."

"Send targeting priorities. I want the leading Munificent task forces to concentrate on enemy escorts. Following waves and the battleships are to engage the Venators. Ignore the Corellian cruisers. It will take too long to crack their defenses." Time and ships better spent on killing their lesser brethren. The behemoths could wait for now.

"Sent."

The transparent displays hovering in front of the Admiral's face lit up with acknowledgments and soon everyone in his command knew their task. It was time to go.

"All units. Execute." he ordered braced for acceleration.

For a split moment the world froze as hundreds of ships stretched in impossible lines. Faster than a biological mind should be able to perceive they disappeared from the universe only to reappear in optimal range of the Republic fleet. For few seconds the fleet maneuvered, taking better positions and refining targeting solutions. A heartbeat later they opened fire.

**=RK=**

**Republic Cruiser "Chimera"**

**First Assault Fleet Flagship**

**High orbit over Geonosis**

"Multiple enemy contacts!" the sensor operator stated calmly. "We are under attack."

"By all means, return fire." Yularen ordered.

Most of his ships had already shifted formations in an anticipation of possible attack. Despite that, it was going to be ugly. The CIS forces had jumped in perfect position to maximize the Munificent's long range firepower.

"I want Coronet and Freedom's battle groups to maneuver independently and engage Rogue one and two respectively. Invincible is to lead two third of its heavy elements against Rogue two, while the rest of the battle group is to keep station. They will be our mobile reserve and will keep an eye for the rest of the enemy fleet." Yularen pointed at the enemy units converging at the defense line in low orbit over Geonosis."

The Admiral glanced at his aide. "Felix, what's the status of Overlord?"

"The primary objectives are secure. Overlord will be active in a couple of minutes."

"Let's hope it'll work. Otherwise this will be much uglier."

**=RK=**

**DCS "Deathdealer"**

**High orbit over Geonosis**

"How much time do you need?" Boss shouted.

He and Delta were camping near the main entrance to the computer core, while the ONI team was busy working their magic. Thanks to the new arms and armor, so far the casualties were surprisingly low, but that wasn't going to last. Whoever was in charge of shipboard security had gotten smarter. Now the B1 droids were acting as shields for the SB droids, which in turn had the firepower to be a threat.

"Sir, Echo squad reported sighting Commando droids. We lost contact with them."

"Of course. It's never easy, is it?" Sev muttered.

"We are in the network. The package will be uploaded in sixty seconds. Then we need to keep this mainframe operational until it propagates. Give or take, five more minutes!"

"Joy. Pull Alpha and beta squads back. It will be up to Kilo company to keep the route out clear." Boss ordered.

His ears perked up. There were more Droidekas coming. "How many Ion grenades do we have left?"

"I'm out." Sev muttered.

"I've got four." Scorch patted his harness.

"One." Fixer added.

"I'm out too. Now this is what we are going to do..."

**=RK=**

**Light Cruiser "Corellian Fury"**

**Task Force Lacoon Flagship**

**First Assault Fleet**

**High Orbit over Geonosis**

"This is going to be ugly."

"Raar! Grwar!"

"Nah. This is worse than Nar Shadda. Keep the Carriers between our main battle groups. All escorts except Cruiser Squadron One and Destroyer divisions Three and Seven are to advance. We are supporting Coronet's battle group. Guardian status?"

"Green. All remaining weapon platforms are in the net, though they are down to the laser cannons."

"Keep them prioritized on enemy fighters. Once those Munificent's are in range start targeting weapon emplacements."

"Willco."

"Get us to the left flank. Let's cover that Venator division."

**=RK=**

**Corellian Cruiser "Freedom"**

**First Assault Fleet**

**High orbit over Geonosis**

Commodore Joanna Holt of the Corellian Defense Forces, glared at the holo tank showing the enemy disposition. The whole of Rogue two had executed a precise tactical jump and now were busy shooting up her battle group. Something she wasn't going to let stand.

"All units, return fire. Concentrate on the Munificents. We can kill them faster. And inform our escorts. We are going in. Helm, take us straight down their throats. I want us to get the attention of as much of the enemy battle line as possible. The Freedom has been build for this kind of fight. Let's give the Lady her chance to shine!"

"Ma'am, Invincible and most of her battle group are moving to reinforce us."

"Good. Let's show those tin cans how we do things on Corellia."

When the fleet battle started in earnest, the Confederation forces appeared to have the upper hand. Their deft maneuvering placed them in position where they could concentrate most of their firepower on their targets, while the major part of the Republic forces in range could engage with about half of their weapons. Destroyers and Light Cruisers felt the brunt of the enemy assault, shattering one after another under the concentrated fire of Munificent frigates. The Republic forces spat back its defiance with Turbo-laser bolts, heavy concussion missiles and waves of proton torpedoes. It was the Confederacy's turn to feel the sting. Munificent's were torn apart by destroyer and frigate packs, while others died under the barrage of Light Cruiser squadrons.

The fleet's formations unfolded like the petals of a giant flower, clearing firing lanes and movement vectors for the Capital ships. With each passing moment more and more fire power was brought to bear. The Republic battle line came into range. Targeting priorities shifted, giving much needed respite to the escorts. The first ordinance salvos struck their targets, overwhelming shields and blasting armor. The Munificent's started dying faster.

"Invictus is taking heavy fire."

"Opportunist just lost forward shields."

"Scratch another frigate. Shift starboard batteries on sector seven one. Keep all forward guns to that battleship."

"The Sep's are sending their remaining fighters."

"Finally. Relay it to the Flag. Once they are a broken force, call in the hammer."

Waves of Vultures came screaming from behind the lines of Rogue One and Two. They were the majority of the Confederacy's remaining fighters in the system. Nearly forty thousands artificial minds, piloting craft sent on their final mission. Less than eight thousand Torrent's raced to meet them, backed up by seven hundred odd weapon platforms… and the Guardian systems of the Fleet, which had already selected targets and ripple salvoed their missiles.

"Fearless just went up. No survivors."

"Ma'am, signal from the Flag. Overlord is commencing now."

Commodore Holt grinned. "All units, general advance! Get those eyesores out off my space!"

**=RK=**

**Droid Command Ship "Nemesis"**

**Third Wing Flagship**

**High Orbit over Geonosis**

Admiral Ningo watched the slaughter with dispassionate eyes. The CIS commander knew that he had the advantage for the time being, yet he couldn't help it but feel dread. As if the outcome of the battle was preordained and no matter what he did, he was going to lose. The way the enemy was acting didn't help that grim premonition. They were reacting fast. Too fast. As if all of them knew what was happening, what his forces were doing the moment they started moving. There was no uncertainty, not even the tiniest hesitation amidst the Republic ranks. They were acting with a machine like precision that was unnerving.

The Admiral glanced at the clunky droids surrounding him. Actually the Republic forces were even better than machines if that was anything to go by.

At least for the moment the assault was going relatively well. The attack was claiming a frightful harvest upon the enemy light elements, but they had reacted too fast. What should have been the slaughter of at least half their escorts for little loss, was turning out to be a slugging match. Then the Venators started joining the battle en masse and his fleet's targeting patterns shifted, concentrating on the Capital ships. Once the two sides were almost full engaged it was time. He was unlikely to have a better chance to use his remaining fighter strength. Almost two thirds of which was committed to this attack. The rest were simply too far away to make it on time so they were now bound to defend the planet.

"Send in the Vultures. Shift fire to the enemy escorts and punch them an opening."

"Roger, roger."

Ningo shuddered. All he wanted was to get this battle done with and get away.

A wave of almost forty thousand fighters weaved through his lines seeking the gut the enemy fleet. The sensor display refreshed to clear the image, showing the Vultures as pale blue wave that was expanding through his formations. The Admiral frowned. There were dots falling behind without obvious reason, almost all of them were lit green, showing no sustained damage.

"Give me status on those ships!" he growled.

**=RK=**

**First Assault Fleet Order of Battle:**

**Capital ships:**

3 Corellian Cruisers : Invincible, Coronet, Freedom;

105 Venator Class Cruisers /120 V-19 Torrent; 36 Y-Wing Bombers each/

**Escorts:**

250 Light Cruisers /78 Carrack; 172 Arquitens/

297 Frigates /87 Consular; 210 CR90/

32 PLC Escort Carriers/150 V-19 Torrens; 100 Y-Wing Bombers each/

Ten Light freighters /100 weapon platforms each/

17400 V-19 Torrents; 6980 Y-Wing Bombers;

**CIS Defense fleet:**

12 Droid Command Ships /1500 Vultures each/

47 Battleships /1200 Vultures each/

371 Munificent Frigates /400 Vultures each/

59 Munificent Frigates without fighter compliment

Geonosis Orbital Defense Net:

16 Golan Defense stations /100 vultures each/

1000 Defense Platforms /light turbolasers and proton torpedo compliments/

224 300 Vulture Droids;

**Loses prior to main fleet engagement:**

**Republic: **11 Venators; 8 Carrack, 6 Arquitens, 7 Consular, 12 CR90, 8900 Torrents, 399 bombers; 16 PLC Escort Carriers and 10 Light Freighters;

**Confederation:** 2 DCS, 3 Battleships, 49 Munificent frigates, 160 831 Vulture fighters; 1 Golan Station; 43 Weapon Platforms;


	58. Chapter 19 Part 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**AN: This update was betaed by Gatemaster. Thank you for the time and effort put in cleaning it up!**

**Phase 19: Operation Anvil**

**Part 8**

**=RK=**

**Light Cruiser "Corellian Fury"**  
**Task Force Lacoon Flagship**  
**First Assault Fleet**  
**High Orbit over Geonosis**

"Concentrate fire on the fighters. Reinforce the forward deflectors!" Commodore Solo might have as well have been discussed the weather. The Corellian's tone and whole bearing was that of a bored man.

The Light Cruiser shook from a nearby explosion.

"Rrrgar!"

"We lost Legacy." the sensor operator answered.

"A pity. What's the status on our launchers?"

"Reloading. Next salvo will be ready in ten."

"Swell. Target that frigate. I want it gone." Solo designated a target on the holo display. "Guns," he pointed at another Munificent, "coordinate with the rest of the squadron. I want that gone yesterday."

"Enemy fighters incoming. Guardian is engaging."

"I guess the tin cans didn't learn. Oh, well. At least the fireworks will be pretty."

Solo moved to a free console and called up the picture from the external cameras.

The surrounding space was aglow, criss crossed by red and green turbo laser blasts, and bluish laser lances. In the next few seconds the Guardians engaged and the leading ships of the Republic formation literally disappeared behind the glow of thousands light missiles. Jole zoomed in, watching his ships salvo go. The cameras followed those missiles until they neared the enemy battle group, where their trails were lost on a background exploding ships and detonating ordinance.

**=RK=**

**Missile AFC "Dart" Number 90413**  
**High Orbit over Geonosis**

Dart 90413, wasn't a particularly bright member of her kind, though she wasn't much dumber ether, thank you very much. All she wanted was to do her job. So, when the time finally came and she was loaded in her launcher, she was giddy. Her tiny electronic brain buzzed in content as it was fed loads of tasty targeting information. Her ride's powerful sensor clusters found her a playmate and sent a signal. Dart 90413 became giddy with excitement! It was time to meet a new friend!

She was propelled out of the electromagnetic launcher and her powerful engine ignited. Squee! She was the first Dart to race away, speeding to remain ahead of her sisters, who followed suit, the shrews!

That was so inconsiderate! Her new friend tried to escape! To run from her! That simply wouldn't do. Dart 90413 entered a steep turn, sweeping straight at her designated playmate. She was almost there when the inconsiderate jerk just blew away, leaving her to fly alone. Even worse, that traitorous guidance signal abruptly cut off, abandoning her. She sulkily drifted for almost a minute, engines cut to conserve fuel, when her sensors picked up the siren song of another Guardian node. She was redirected at a new playmate and forced her engine to its limits to get there in time.

Moments later Dart 90413 slammed into the side of a Munificent frigate, which had its armor already shredded by a few hundred of her sisters. She slipped through a gaping hole just above the hangar deck and flew straight into the unsecured ordinance storage bay, detonating in a pile of neatly stacked bombs. The resulting explosion shattered the spine of the ship. It's engines cut off too late, their momentum snapping the frigate in two.

**=RK=**

**Corellian Cruiser "Freedom"**  
**First Assault Fleet**  
**High orbit over Geonosis**

Commodore Holt smirked. For once ONI weren't a bunch of useless pains in the butt. One after another, enemy ships were falling out of formation, their fire slacking and then cutting off completely. Meanwhile, Holt's battle line advanced, led by her own Freedom. The Corellian Cruiser was dividing her attention between multiple Munificents, her heavy turbo laser banks making short work of the enemy frigates.

Holt glanced at the fleet status display. While the light elements were hit hard, the Capital ships were largely intact, while the Confederation force was simply melting. Simply put, the Munificents weren't build for such a slugging match. The battleships were already engaging and dealing grievous damage, but by themselves they couldn't win this. And their support would soon be gone.

"Alter course five degrees to port. Take us towards those three battleships. Weapons, coordinate strikes on targets without escorts. Secondary guns are free to engage targets of opportunity."

**=RK=**

**Droid Command Ship "Nemesis"**  
**Third Wing Flagship**  
**High Orbit over Geonosis**

"Our communications have been compromised. We are detecting aggressive viral packages in the network."

"Take down the datanet and isolate the mainframes. Status on the fighter strike?"

"Enemy fighters are on intercept vectors. Missiles incoming!" one of the tactical droids exclaimed.

The Admiral watched helplessly as the bulk of his remaining Vultures was simply washed away by a tidal wave of missiles. In the same time, the Venators were maneuvering to clear their firing lines and engage with the full fury of their weapons. There was no disruption in the enemy formations, no mistakes to capitalize on. The attack was becoming a battle of attrition. One he no longer had the numbers to win.

That's how it is. Ningo slumped in his chair. Geonosis, it was a trap, a meticulously planned one at that. Now it was turned on them. Apparently no one thought that the enemy commanders would have similar ideas about this battle. Then there was that Guardian system of theirs. The new Republic weapon, it had already changed the face of space warfare, making all small craft in the Confederacy's arsenal obsolete. Useful for little more than distraction or air superiority within a planet's atmosphere. Because in Space? They were just dead weight. This time, despite the enemy fleet being heavily engaged, their accursed Guardian and CSP did even better. Of the forty thousand odd Vultures he sent, barely few hundred were going to reached the enemy lines, where they would die before they could pass what was left of the enemy escorts.

"Start calculating escape vectors. We'll execute a tactical retreat and pull back to the defense line. There is no point of continuing this." The Admiral waved at the holotank where he could clearly see his fleet dying. Kriffing Munificents. Kriffing Republic too! Why did they have to luck out and get someone competent in charge too? If he had had the numbers in decent ships he could have won this battle. "And pull back whatever remains from our fighters. The last thing we need is to be pounced on by bombers."

**=RK=**

**Republic Cruiser "Chimera"**  
**First Assault Fleet Flagship**  
**High orbit over Geonosis**

"Enemy fighter status?" Yularen asked.

"What's left of them broke off. About eighty percent are gone."

"It's about time. The Confed fleet will soon try to break away. That or they stay and die. If they run I want intercept vectors calculated. Vector bomber formations on any enemy group that doesn't jump straight into range of the Planetary defense network. It's time to wrap up this battle."

"Invincible Actual requests permission for tactical jump on the following coordinates..." an area on the holodisplay lit up.

It was on Rogue Two's right flank, close to a third of their battleships. Between them and the planet. It was going to be costly, jumping in close range to those leviathans. Nevertheless, they needed to die. "Granted. Coordinate with Commodore Holt. I want that enemy battle group erased from existence."

Yularen relaxed and calmly watched the progress of the battle. Unless something went terribly wrong or one of his people kriffed up by the numbers, he was now a spectator until it was time to deal with the orbital defense network. In the holotank green symbols changed into amber colors, falling out of formation. Others blinked out, announcing a death of a ship. The casualties were rather heavy but acceptable. The same couldn't be said for the enemy, especially once the flanking maneuver was executed. The Admiral winced when he saw Tanith, one of his Venators, suddenly missing form the plot. It took him a few seconds to find what happened. Apparently the Cruiser lost its forward shields and had the misfortune to receive the attention of three battleships and a few frigates for good measure.

"Tactical jump coordinates ready and fed to the battle group."

"Good. Execute."

Reality twisted and then twenty Venators, one Corellian cruiser and what was left from their escorts were at new position. It should have taken them at least few seconds to take their bearings, but the Republic crews reacted as if nothing happened. The only delay was the one needed for the weapons to swing into position and then the battle group opened fire as one. The Munificent frigates screening the battleships flew apart under two concentrated salvos, giving enough time to the behemoths to start reacting.

It was far from long enough to make a difference. Invincible and her escort concentrated on the closest battleship, while the rest of the Venators unloaded their weapons upon two more. The space around the Capital ships blazed, almost warping as shields struggled to disperse the monstrous energies assaulting them. First to give was the deflector of a Lucrehulk, turbo-lasers slagging armors and weapons alike. Next a Venator listed to port, half its side a burning ruin. More battle ships and two DCS maneuvered, wadding straight into the fray, while the Confederation formation started to unravel. At the same time, Freedom and her escorts finished off the last of a second division of battleships and advanced, aiming to cleave through Rogue Two's battle line. Simultaneously, Republic escorts darted forward, moving for close attack run at distances where the enemy heavy weapons had trouble targeting them.

Meanwhile, Rogue One was doing much better. It had parity with Coronet's battle group firepower wise, at least initially, and while it was suffering lower numerical casualties, the Republic's loses were concentrated amongst their Light ships. The battle there was devolving in a slugging match too, one that the Republic was going to eventually win, though with rather heavy casualties. That was until the retreat order was given. The forward elements of the CIS fleet pressed the attack, sacrificing themselves in a rear guard action in order to give the rest of their forces time to pull back. And it worked, Coronet and her escorts were satisfied with destroying the enemy ships that stood their ground.

Rogue Two on the other hand, wasn't as fortunate. They were heavily engaged, enemy ships cutting off possible vectors for a hyperspace jump. By the time Invincible and Freedom met, cutting a grim harvest of destroyed or crippled hulks, barely a third of that CIS formation managed to get away.

The Confederation forces scattered, many of them unable to make a direct jump to Geonosis.

**=RK=**

**71st Bomber Squadron**  
**Three light seconds from Geonosis**

"Here we go again." Lieutenant Falk muttered after his Y-Wing emerged from hyperspace. They had waited for a hour or so after making an extended FTL journey to the void outside the system. Now it was their chance to shine. "All right, men. Each squadron is to make an attack run at a different frigate. We'll circle back and hit whoever survives." The 71st was just a single wing amidst the veritable armada that had arrived shortly after the fleet began their attack. As expected, the CIS hadn't wasted ships and fighters or deep space patrols. The early warning network of Satellites ringing Geonosis has been dealt with by a few stealth ONI corvettes, making this strike possible.

The bombers swung from below, avoiding the ineffective AA fire of the damaged frigates that were their chosen prey. They closed to point blank range and unloaded their proton torpedoes in the lightly armored belly's of the frigates. For three of the five Munificents that was one blow too much. One was consumed by cascading secondary explosions. The whole drive section of another blew up, sending the remaining half of the ship to tumble uncontrollably. The third lost power and drifted into the void.

The remaining two frigates suffered heavy damage but survived the initial strike. One managed to complete its hyperspace calculations in time and jumped to safety. The other was torn apart by the second bombing run.

"Well done, boys. Now let's do it again. Homeplate Actual, this is Talon Actual. Mission accomplished. One got away, with heavy damage. Requesting new targets, over."

"Hold one, Talon Actual. Ah. Return to the fleet to refuel and rearm. All targets of opportunity have been hit. We'll need you to help dismantle the orbital defenses."

"Wilco."

Falk suppressed a sigh. These newbies were like robots. After the battle of Ryloth, what was left of the 71st had been temporally disbanded and folded in other formations. A month later, he had been given the option to rebuild the wing, with all but new meat. The unit had never been the same again, which wasn't helped by the fact that the newest batch of his brothers were like robots. No sense of humor whatsoever, no chatter that wasn't related with the mission. Nothing. Kriffing wankers.

**=RK=**

**Republic Cruiser "Chimera"**  
**First Assault Fleet Flagship**  
**High orbit over Geonosis**

Slowly I let the Battle Meditation go, careful not to cause a backslash amongst my soldiers. The strings of the web connecting us started unraveling. First one by one, then by pairs and scores. Soon enough, I was alone in my head, with only the Force making me company. I let her go too, except the barest of trickle, which I used to sustain me. The weariness from all that strain hit me like a super freighter, nearly knocking me out. It would have if it wasn't for the Force that I had used to keep me on my feet.

I steadied myself and made my way out of the command tower, which luckily remained unscratched during the engagement. A few minutes later I was on the bridge, returning salutes.

"Admiral Yularen, great work. You handled the battle exemplary. Once the fleet has been brought back into formation, commence long range bombardment on the ODG. Let's see if the new missiles are as good as the egg heads are raving about. When its compiled I want to see a detailed breakdown on our loses as well as an estimate on the enemy's." I paused as another wave of weakness hit me.

"General, are you all right?"

"I think I overdid it a bit," I muttered.

"I'll get you that data personally. Now you should get some rest, sir."

"That's the plan. Just don't let Kenobi start the ground invasion before we control the orbitals."

"I'll make sure that the Jedi contingent behaves. Now get some rest or I'll call some folks from medical to sedate you. Frankly General, you look like a you are on your last legs."

"I feel that way too. Besides mentioning the folks with the needles is not cool at all."

An hour later, elements from first assault fleet commenced long range bombardment on the orbital defenses ringing Geonosis.

**=RK=**

**Estimated losses after the fleet action during the Second Geonosis:**

**Republic Losses:**

21 Venators, 11 damaged;

93 Light cruisers, 69 damaged;

125 Frigates, 45 damaged;

12, 587 Torrent fighters; 211 Y-Wing bombers;

**Confederation of Independent Systems loses:**

6 Droid Command Ships, 1 Damaged;

24 Battleships, 5 damaged;

312 Munificent Frigates, 31 damaged;

36, 975 Vulture fighters;


	59. Interlude: A Dagger in the dark

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**Interlude: A dagger in the dark**

**Jedi Temple Ruins  
Tython**

"Turn from this path, I implore you!" the Force Ghost of a female Jedi begged.

"It's too late for that, my former master. The Republic we swore to protect is gone, replaced by that corrupt abomination carrying its name." a man covered by fine brown robes answered.

"It's not too late! You've merely lost your way!"

"Perhaps. But no more than the Jedi of this era. I at least know who and what I am. I found the truth, former master of mine. The Dark Side isn't something to be feared or avoided. We embrace it, yet resist its corruption! Now we have just enough power to start saving the galaxy!"

"Look at yourself. At what you've done! Your actions mirror that of the Sith we fought!"

"Yes, they do. Before you say it, I indeed find it ironic that one of out enemies is here in this time. Fighting to protect their so called Republic. Don't you see?! The very fact that Darth Vael of all people is on their side tells us all we need to know! This Republic is utterly corrupted and needs to go!"

The Force Ghost shook her head in denial. "We both know who really leads the Confederation you helped create!"

"Please, that sorry excuse of a Sith Lord?! This Sidious creature? I've faced and slayed members of the Dark Council. I took the Force Damned Emperor down! Sidious doesn't deserve to carry such a title. We know our true enemy. It's Vael and the Jedi of this era who are falling under his influence. How long do you think it will be before there is an open schism and most of them decide to support him?" the robed man shrugged. "We will tear town this corrupt regime and build the Republic anew. As for Sidious? Vael is doing great at dealing with him and his minions."

"No matter the price? Look at yourself, deluded fool! You poisoned a whole planet using biological weapons! Where does it end?!"

"Ah. That. It was regrettable, but necessary. The Confederation and the Republic need to taste the horrors of real war, not that proxy conflict they've been fighting with expendable droid and clone armies. The Clone wars are no longer the carefully orchestrated theater directed by Sidious. It's a chaotic, unpredictable war between peer opponents. By the time we allow it to end, the galaxy will be ready for change. For salvation."

"And you will be the one to provide it?" the Ghost's voice was breaking with regret.

"Me?! I'm very well aware of my failings. I've flirted with the Dark Side for far too long to be trusted with rebuilding the galaxy."

The Force Ghost of Satele Shan was taken aback by that response. "So you haven't fallen that far..." she whispered.

"Oh, don't be silly, Master. I'm much worse than that. I am very well aware of all my actions and their consequences. Yet I'm doing what I believe to be necessary. Isn't this what's scaring you? That I should have fallen thanks to my actions up to date, yet I haven't? That you can't blame the Dark Side for my deeds?"

The woman who once was the Grand Master of the Jedi Order frowned.

"I may very well fall before the end. There are good people who will put me down in such eventuality, as you very well know." the Jedi shrugged. "So what is the purpose of this visit? You haven't made yourself known lately."

"You are still searching for the child. Do you have any idea what will happen if you actually manage to get your hands on her?"

The man in brown raised his head. Only the lower part of his face was visible under his hood. He was smiling. "Once we have her on our side, Veil will show his true colors for everyone to see."

"You've gone mad, apprentice. You very well know what happened when those fools killed his wife. You know he won't suddenly start making mistakes."

"Of course not, that would be too much to hope for." the Dark Jedi shook his head in amusement.

"Why do you want him in such a fury again?"

"All I need him to do is to stop holding back and show the whole galaxy how a true Sith wages war. The Confederation will make a splendid target for his wrath."

"And a new order will raise from the ashes of war. It's been a long time, Grandmaster" a new figure entered the clearing where the entrance to the Jedi Temple laid. She was female humanoid, clad in a sealed power armor.

"General. I wish I could say it is a pleasure." Shan glared at the newcomer. "So it's you who are supposed to rebuild the galaxy in her image."

"I will uphold my oath no matter what. The people of the Republic deserve better than to be exploited by a bunch of corrupt fools, who are protected by the Jedi. Even after all those years, that haven't changed. It almost makes one think that the Sith had the right idea."

"So that's your plan? Let the galaxy burn and build yourselves a little empire on the ashes?"

"Of course not! We will reforge a nation in the fires of war. This conflict will purify the galaxy making the restoration of the Republic, of real democracy possible!"

"You two are mad!"

"No more than you for imploring us to support another corrupt government! It happens again, damn politicians protected by Jedi are letting the galaxy burn just as it happened during our conflict! If the Empire hadn't splintered in a civil war we would have lost because of the likes of you! Because of the corruption you protected!"

"Ahem. Technically we did lose the war before the Empire self-destructed." the Dark Jedi quipped.

"I rest my case." the armored figure glared at Satele Shan.

"What nonsense is this?! I, we did our duty! To the Republic and it's citizens! We swore to protect the Republic and we did! Most of the Order perished, dying to protect it!"

"NO! All you did was fight and die to keep the status quo! Instead of changing to meet the Empire on even ground, the Republic stagnated, became weaker, all the while we fought, bled and died to protect a state that was no longer worth it! Not again!"

"I see." Shan muttered. She glanced at her former apprentice. "There is no convincing you to turn away, is there?"

"No, master. We are way beyond that. I need follow my heart in this."

"Some times I think that those who wanted us to divorce ourselves from our emotions had it right." muttered the former Grandmaster.

"As if. If we had followed that way, the Sith would have destroyed us a long time ago. It's not like it works for the current generation of so called Jedi either. They are pale shadows of what they should be."

Shan gave a long, wishful look at her apprentice and faded away.

"I'm sorry. I know how much she meant to you." muttered the Old Republic General.

"It's fine. We've had that argument ever since I decided to walk this path. I'm grateful that you and your soldiers decided to follow me, my love."

"We take our oaths seriously and it isn't to this so called Republic. We will rebuild our nation from the ashes. There is nothing else left for us in this day and age."

"There is nothing less that we can do." the Dark Jedi agreed.


	60. Interlude: A day in the office

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**Interlude: A day in the office**

**General Valentra's office  
GAR Headquarters  
Coruscant**

"Damn." Valentra cursed quietly. He was reading over the preliminary casualty list after the main fleet action over Geonosis was complete. When all was said and done about a third of the fleet was either outright destroyed, crippled or in need of serious yard time. The price in lives was even higher. The conservative estimates were for six hundred thousand dead with another hundred thousand wounded. And all those figures were very rough estimates based on the number of destroyed and damaged ships. So it was virtually guaranteed that the numbers were going to spike as more information came in.

That was before the ground action had begun, not to mention that the fleet was still dealing with the orbital defenses.

The General closed his eyes. While they had won the battle, decisively at that, the outcome was painful beyond belief. Oh, the enemy's losses in both destroyed ships and tonnage were nothing short of catastrophic, but they had lost few hundred people at best. The rest were expendable, easily replaceable droids. It wasn't so with the Republic crews, clones or not. While the Republic had much bigger industrial output, at least once it's economy get into gear and onto war footing, the loss of experienced spacers was critical. Getting more ships into service than the enemy could field didn't mean that much when you lacked the trained crews to run them.

"Give me the estimated completion dates for the latest construction runs." he asked his aide.

It took him few minutes to get the relevant information, before the middle aged captain was able to do so.

"The next major batch of Venators will be complete and ready for trials within a three week period, in two months time. Between now and then, there will be trickle of completed cruisers that should be enough to shore up our losses, if there aren't many victories like today's. There is a similar schedule concerning the Acclamators with another week lead time."

"How are our production figures looking?

"Reasonably good, given the circumstances. The major fleet yards are still expanding and constantly adding new construction slips. There are bottlenecks in trained personnel and expanding the production of various critical components. For the time being we are fine resource wise, but building new factories and production lines takes time and it is the real snag. Add to that the fact that a lot of said production is specialized work and we are hurting as far as trained workers are concerned. That bottleneck is expected to be resolved within the next six months up to a year depending on how fast we want to expand our construction efforts."

"Which lead us up to the next issue. What's our situation with the fleet personnel?"

"Bad. There simply aren't enough clones being grown and trained to fill up all needed positions and that's before we factor the latest approved expansion of the fleet. Unless something is done, within twelve months we'll have brand new ships without anyone to crew them. The current level of losses of trained personnel is unsustainable in the long term."

"A weakness that the enemy is much sensitive of."

"Yes, sir. Only about fifteen to twenty percent of their combined fleet is manned by organics though those numbers are increasing as they ramp up production too."

"Not enough to make a difference. How are our recruitment efforts going?"

"Rather good, though training competent spacers takes up time. If we rush it we lose the edge our crews have on the droids."

"Can't be helped. I'll need recommendations on cutting down the training cycles. To compensate somewhat, we would have to break up many of our current crews and spread the trained personnel to stiffen up the new boys and girls."

"Now, how is the production going on the new equipment?"

"We are steadily replacing all production lines for both small arms and armor. Even when its possible, we simply won't have the resources to outfit the whole army with power armor and heavy weapons, though within two years the bulk of our forces will have the new arms and armor types. As per operation plan Blue, we will be sending the bulk of the old equipment to newly created formations."

"Good. Our veteran units will need all the edge they could get in order to preserve as many of their manpower as possible. Even if its in exchange of much heavier casualties among the new units we are training." Valentra hated the necessity of that choice, but that's the ruthless calculus of war for you. The big edge the GAR currently had was the better quality of its soldiers, something that would inevitably go down as brand new units, which only had few months of training were fed into the fray.

Which in turn made inevitable that Valentra had to preserve the bulk of his veterans, though a significant portion would be disbanded and spread amongst the green divisions that were being trained.

"Did the warning go to our forward units?" the General asked.

"Twenty minutes ago. ONI agrees."

After the first reports of the battle over Geonosis came, it was apparent that mass fighter attacks would soon be plain suicidal. Which was good in the long term, but it also meant that the CIS might decide to use that tactic while the Republic Fleet was still retrofitting it's ships with Guardian systems. So a warning was sent to the various front line units to prepare as well as they could against such tactic. Not that many of them could devise a good counter against few thousand or tens of thousands of small craft doing kamikaze run while they were still useful for something more than scrap.

It was frustrating to be unable to help beyond issuing that warning.

"Enough of that. What's the latest status on our forces in the Outer Rim?"


	61. Chapter 20 Part 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**Phase 20: Red Dawn**

**Part 1**

**Republic Cruiser "Chimera"**

**First Assault Fleet Flagship**

**High Orbit over Geonosis**

"Look that station go!" exclaimed one of the sensor operators.

"Easy, kid. Remember where you are." Pellaeon chided his subordinate.

"Sorry, sir! It won't happen again."

"Better not. Though off the record, I agree with the notion."

Few chuckles answered the Commodore's quip.

"The heavy missiles did better than the initial projections called for." Lieutenant Olen added.

"That's the second time the boffins knew what they were talking about." Yularen chuckled. "It make's me apprehensive. What's the status of our magazines?"

"Down to ten percent on the siege missiles."

"Flush the rest of the birds. The fleet will advance. Capital ships are to concentrate fire on the remaining enemy mobile forces. Once thosse are dealt with take out the Golans. Our escorts are to eleminate the defense platforms. One the battle line is engaged, bomber wings are free to strike targets of opportunity."

"Aye, sir. Relaying orders."

**=RK=**

Couple of hours submerged into the Force, using the Light side to recover from the strain caused by the Battle Meditation, an energy bar and a lot of the local equivalent of Aspirin, did wonders for my disposition. Oh, I wasn't up for fun and games, like joining the first wave of the ground invasion, that was reserved for my apprentice and the Jedi, but at least I was more or less functual.

Which meant that I had a job to do. So, while I munched on another energy bar, there was a data pad in my other hand and I was busy browsing the compiled list of fleet losses.

They were rather severe, though nothing like the butcher's bill that this battle should have yelded. At least on paper both sides were evenly matched. The most optimistic estimates called for about fifty perecent fleet casualties, if we won. Thanks to my Battle Meditation and the plan Valentra, the ONI Director and me cobbled together, we got out of the scrap relatively light. If you can call a third of the fleet lost low casualties.

That had been unpleasant for more than the obvious reasons. I felt every single death during the battle, thanks to the Battle Meditation connecting me with my men and the few organics in the CIS fleet. They fed the Dark side, and while actually making me a bit stronger in the Force, strained my control. It was making it harder to deal with the persistent seduction of the whispers in the back of my head.

Oh, it would be soo good to just let my control go and revel in all the Dark Side had to offer. All the power, the immortality it promised. No longer having to pay lip service to Palpy and the Republic… To build my own Empire…

I shook my head. Even if I knew that it was all a lie, or at best a short lived gain before I was left tottaly insane, her whispers and suggestions had a dark alure that I found hard to resist. All I could do with the unrestrained power of the Dark Side on my disposall… I just had to stop fighting it at every turn… I shuddered as a familiar chill went up my spine. The Dark Side was coiling around me, anticipating the next round of slaughter.

I focused my mind, doing my best to ignore the whispers.

**=RK=**

****Light Cruiser "Corellian Fury"****

****Task Force Lacoon Flagship****

****First Assault Fleet****

****High Orbit over Geonosis****

After the immediate aftermath of the Fleet on Fleet engagament was dealt with, Jole became a spectator. His Cruiser squadron had fallen back, behind the main body of Republic ships in order to escort the remaining carriers. That in turn left him free to watch the fireworks, somethig that warmed his old, smuggler's heart.

It had all started innocent enough. The fleet had reformed just out of the Planetary defense grid's effective weapon range. The ships had pumped their ECM levels as much as possible, followed by ripple firing shoals of missiles. Part of the ordinance sent downrange were antifighter Darts as well as electronic warfare birds, meant to sweep away what was left of the enemy fighters and target weapon emplacements. On their heels were waves of Lancer siege missiles.

Those new weapons were big, a bit longer than two bombers strapped together and with similar dimensions. The concept of the weapons was all but new, it has been known for a very long time, though believed inefficent in the age of shields. Further it was meant for long range engagements, something that would be only usefull if the enemy could be pinned defending a stationary target. Like Geonosis for example. Even then, it was expensive weapon, that was really usefull in a handful of tactical scenarious. Conventional wisdom said that just using turbolaser was much better. Much less fuss and less strain on your logistics train.

Not to mention that in order to defeat shields, those missiles needed to came relatively close before detonating and thus activating their laser heads. Which made them vulnerable for intercept from fighters and point defense.

However in this case, those weaknesses were anything but. The standard doctrine was to send your fighters forward to deal with missiles of this kind. Which the Seps, refused to do, in order to preserve the Vultures they had left. That course of action had predicatable results. No one was particularly surprised when the Darts failed to cause any noticible damage on the battle stations, merely diabling a few of their weapons. Yet they did their jobs, screening their much larger sisters.

Only ten percent of the first Lancer wave was picked off, before they reached stand off range and detonated… all of them missing the Golan stations they were flying at.

Solo grinned viciously. Shields flared briefly, fighting to abosrb and deflect lances of pure energy. Then the defensive fields failed and ten more Munificents died, their hulls shattered by invisible beams of pure energy.

That awoke whoever was in charge and the Vultures surged on dashing straight at the next wave of missiles… Which only looked like Lancers. The large missiles blew up few seconds before the enemy fighters fell upon them, releasing a swarm of Darts down their throats. The Vulture flight stood no chance and slammed straight into the trap. The explosions caught on camera by the recon birds in the vanguard of the fleet were beautiful to behold.

Then the second Lancer wave struk true. This time they did target the battle stations. Two of them to be precise. The missiles didn't even attempt to kill them outright. Instead they were instructed to take out the shield generator and heavy weapons.

Few hundred missiles concentrated their fire on a small section of the deflector fields, temporaly overwhelming and piercing the defenseses. A lot of the incoming energy was either absorbed or dispersed, a big fraction of what went through wasted itself ablating armor, yet enough remained to damage the generator on one Gollan and outright destroy that of the second. When the next missile salvo struck, those two stations were left as drifting, toothless hulks.

**=RK=**

**DCS "Nemesis"**

**Low Orbit over Geonosis**

Admiral Ningo glared balefully at Grievous. The damn cyborg had survived after all and even managed to get to his ship… Just in time to order the suicide charge of most Vultures that had survived the previous engagements. Yet, he held his tongue. The Sulucian didn't feel like dying by the hand of the madman who was in his nominal command. It had been obvious that the missiles were some kind of bait. Sending all but the first wave without a covering force of a barrage of antifighter ordinance… He shook his head and turned his sight towards the tactical plot. It appeared that the enemy had fianly exhausted their supply of heavy missiles. The Republic fleet was picking up speed, advancing towards their position.

While before the relentles barrages, Ningo had been reasonably sure that he could further bloody the enemy, now even that was going to be denied to him. Only seven battlestations were still largely intacts, backed up by what was left from his mobile forces and about seven hundred or so defensive platforms. But the latter were more or less evenly spread over the planet, unable to concentrate their firepower for the final round of the space battle. Even wordse, now there was insuficient number of fighters left to blunt the impending attacks from Republic bombers, which were massing up together with their own escorts.

"Maneuver our remaining units behind the Gollans. We'll use them as a shield until the enemy is in effective range." Ningo suggested.

That way, their mobile forces, which were much less defended in comparison would survive longer and would have a chance to take out enemy ships weakened by the battlestations.

"Multiple new contacts detected!" exclaimed one of the B1's which was monitoring the sensors.

"So their ground units arrived." muttered the Admiral.

"And thaks to your incompetence, we no longer have the forces to intercept them!" Grievous seethed.

The Admiral rolled his eyes behind his back and called the sensor data. As if. Those Acclamators and their escorts were a potent force in their own right, more than enough to deal with whatever would have left from the CIS fleet even if they had won and destroyed the Republic fleet. Now all he could do was ensure that as many of the enemy ships were taken out before his remaning units were gone. If Grievous let him fight his fleet.

**=RK=**

****Republic Cruiser "Negotiator II"****  
****Battle group "Titan" Flagship****

**Five Light Seconds from Geonosis**

The commanders of the ground forces had gatthered for a final briefing before they joined their units for the drop. Shaak Ti looked around, evaluating the men and women in the room. Needless to say, most of them wore the same face. With few exceptions those had the rank of Commander or General. The rest were either the Jedi or the officers in charge of the new units, which weren't made up by clones. It remained to be seen how they were going to mesh with the GAR forces once on the ground. While she had heard of only a few problems, that didn't mean much at this stage.

"I can confirm the good news. The fleet won a major battle over Geonosis and is in the proces of dismantling the orbital defense network. By the time we are in position, we will have orbital superiority." She had to pause for few seconds while almost everyone cheered. She allowed herself a small smile and continued. "Now, thanks to the extensive network of anit orbital weaponry that the locals had built, we won't be in possition to simply orbital strikes all over the place and just mop up."

"Good to know. What about air support?" General Villem Maxtro, the commander of the Anaxxian Rangers asked.

"We'll be getting plenty. From what Admiral Yularen told me, I believe that First Assault's bomber force is largely intact. Then there are our own fighter and bombers too. The main opposition in the air is expected to be from Geonosian air breathers, because the Vultures in system are a spent force."

"So we are going with Red Three then?" Colonell Gyro Pell, the CO of the Caamasi Laners asked.

"Yes. Our heavy divisions will land at the desiganted areas with heavy orbital support, while the airmobile units will drop in, bypasing the nearest defensive lines and striking at various strategic targets. Those include local C&amp;C centers, power stations and of course the theater shield generators."

"What about the planetary shield?" One of the Clone Commanders asked.

"We have contingency in place to deal with them. I'll be leading units from First Shock Army against the main generator complex. We will be going in to support General Veil's Helldiver Regiment. That will be the first of our strategic objectives. We will have to either hold the place while reinforcements arrive or trash it and exfilatrate. Now for the different unit asisgments. There won't be any major alternations on Red Three at this point." That announcement got a few relieved chuckles. "

Seventh Army will be landing here, two hundred klicks from the shield generator complex. They will be shielded by the artillery positions emplaced around it by this mountain chain, though either corssing or going around it will slow them down." She nodded at Obi-Wan.

"I'll be spearhead the push towards the Experimental Droid factories. As you all know that is our primary objective on Geonosis. Unfortunately the place is protected by extensive network of overlaping theater shields, so we will have to crack it the hard way. General Myndi's troops and the Rangers will assist in the initial push."

"The Caamasi Lancers will as well as the Ryloth First Ranger Regiment will make a push towards this valley, " Kenobi zoomed the image of Geonosis floating in the center of the table dominationg the meeting room. "This is the place where the locals rebuit most of their war related industry after our last visit. You will be cleaning the way from any light enemy forces and provide support for Ninth Army's heavy armor which will be making a landing on these coordinates..." he pointed a large plain, two hundred clicks from the Caamasi projected drop point. "Once their leading divisions are deployed, they will be heading your way."


	62. Chapter 20 Part 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**AN: This part was betaed by Gatemaster on the Space Battle's forums! Thank you for the splendid work!**

**Phase 20: Red Dawn**

**=RK=**

**Part 2**

**71st Bomber Squadron  
Low Orbit over Geonosis**

Falk drove his bomber into a roll, barely avoiding a burst of flak fire. His craft shook from the blast wave, but he compensated and dived at the battle station below. His squadron followed, deftly avoiding the last ditch effort of their target to fend them off.

Around them, space was lit up with explosions as the fleet was duking it out with what was left of the CIS ships and the remnant of the Orbital defenses. Falk saw a Munificent frigate being blown apart by turbo laser bolts bigger than his fighter, then he spun again and his cockpit view was obscured by the Seventy First's target. He waited for a moment, before unleashing his bomber's load of proton torpedoes in quick succession. The armor plating protecting turbo-laser turrets and concussion missile launchers shattered in a handful of hits, the following impacts disabling or outright destroying the weapon emplacements.

By the time his squadron finished their run, a quarter of the Gollan's offensive firepower was gone. Falk glanced at his readouts. Two of the newbies didn't make it. He shrugged, privately glad that he hadn't gotten to know them all that well, before banking right.

"Good job, lads. Follow me in. We are making another run then we are off for reloading."

As they headed in, a swarm of bombers overflew them, heading for one of the handful CIS battleships that were still operational. He doubted that the battle-wagon would be more than a powerless hulk once they were done with it.

However the battle wasn't as one sided as the Lieutenant might have hoped. While he was diving at the battle station he had a great view of a Venator which went afoul of two Gollans and was pounded into scrap before most of the stations weapons could be silenced.

**=RK=**

**Republic Cruiser "Chimera"  
First Assault Fleet Flagship  
High Orbit over Geonosis**

"Sir, the remaining Confederate ships are making a break for it. Their frigates are screening that DCS." The sensor operator shouted.

"Their Capital ships won't make it past the planet's gravity well before we pound them into scrap." The Admiral frowned.

He zoomed in the tactical display. Almost all remaining Vultures were converging at that point of the battlefield.

"Re-task our fighters in the nearby sectors to intercept. They are most likely covering the escape of their commander. Concentrate the Guardian system efforts on that sector too."

Soon enough, the plot shifted, whole Torrent squadrons swarming the Confed ships which were attempting a breakthrough.

"Kriff! Sir look at that!" The same Lieutenant shouted again, earning himself a dirty look from Pellaeon.

Yularen zoomed out the display. A few seconds later a look of displeasure appeared on his face.

**=RK=**

"**Talon" Squadron  
High Orbit over Geonosis**

"This better work!" Grievous snarled as he forced his fighter's engines to the point of overload.

"If it doesn't we are dead anyway." Admiral Ningo shrugged in the back of the cockpit of a two seater Selucian starfighter. He had a squadron of those birds on his ship, which were meant as his personal escort. Now they were about to prove their worth.

The small craft went on afterburner, straining their engines to their melting point in an attempt to break clear from Geonosis' gravity well. They were screened by a hundred odd Vultures, which were instructed to fly in a funnel formation, using their bodies as a physical shield against enemy fire.

It was a race, between the Guardian missiles that would be undoubtedly sent their way and whatever enemy fighters were still in the vicinity after most of them were sent against the bait.

They had fifteen seconds head start before Ningo's cockpit was bathed into the shrill beep of the lock on alarm. Targeting sensors were locked on his fighters and missiles were sprinting their way. He glanced out and saw the Vultures shifting, moving to better protect their charges.

The Admiral helplessly waited as long seconds slowly ticked by, when suddenly the cockpit was bathed in bluish light. A Vulture blew up, then another and another in quick succession. Ningo glanced at the instruments. They were still thirty seconds from the edge of the gravity well. At this rate, they weren't going to make it.

His pilot, the leader of Talon squadron apparently agreed with that assessment.

"Gentlemen, it was honor serving with you. Now go intercept those damn missiles!" He ordered.

Half the squadron peeled off and charged the swarm of ordinance heading straight at them. They opened fire with laser canons and their own missiles, which was merely a drop in the ocean. That is until the lead two Talons opened their cargo compartments, spilling reserve parts behind them. The rest of the Selucian fighters charging the missile swarm did so too, a couple of seconds later.

It was the last thing that they would ever do. Moments later missiles either found their mark, blowing up fighters which didn't even attempt to evade, but flew straight firing all the way until the bitter end, or ploughed in the small artificial debris field, detonating harmlessly.

That desperate maneuver was far from enough to take out all the Darts, yet it bought precious seconds for the rest of Talon squadron and their charges.

Ningo grit his teeth as the last of the Vultures expended itself against a missile flying straight at his ride. Just few more seconds…  
The Admiral winced when his fighter shook viciously, almost throwing him out of his seat despite the restrains. In the same moment the cockpit was bathed in blinding light.

**=RK=**

**Republic Cruiser "Chimera"  
First Assault Fleet Flagship  
High Orbit over Geonosis**

"The kriffing bastards got away..." Pellaeon, who was leaning over the sensor station muttered.

"Pity. It would have been great if we nailed their commander. Whoever it was did pretty good." Yularen stated.

"Yes. They will be trouble in the future." the Commodore added.

The Admiral returned his attention to the bigger picture, disgruntled that he had fallen for the feint. He honestly hadn't believed that the enemy would try getting out using small craft once they knew the true capabilities of the Guardian. However they had masterfully made him focus his attention at a tempting bait, buying themselves enough time and distance to get a chance at surviving the inevitable missile strike. He silently cursed the missed opportunity at depriving the enemy of one of their competent Admirals and turned his attention at mopping up the Orbital Defenses. Freedom's battle group had the breakout attempt well in hand, and the rest of the fleet was reducing the remaining two Gollans. Those would be dealt with shortly by bomber wings, which were already moving in for the death strike.

"Sir, we are mostly done here." Pellaeon surmised the situation. "However the planetary shields are up and running. How are we going to deal with them?"

"Apparently it's a need to know." Yularen.

"It was." a new voice interjected. "I have an acquaintance down there." He waved at the planet below. "It remains to be seen if we'll be taking the shields the easy or the hard way."

The Admiral turned around to see General Veil entering the bridge, looking somewhat better. At least he didn't look like the death warmed twice over.

Pellaeon looked incredulous at his commander. "A single being?!" he exclaimed.

"Yep. He is perfect for the task."

**=RK=**

**Planetary Shield generator command center  
Geonosis**

Vikkal Plog, surveyed his domain from a raised platform in the middle of the room. He was the Geonosian Elite in charge of the one of the most important installations on his home world, and by the Queens, he was going to make sure it ran perfectly.

He stared in turn at the backs of the workers manning the stations controlling the intricate network of generators and shield emitters protecting Geonosis, as if daring them to make a mistake. He would have preferred that his installation was manned exclusively by Warrior caste members, but unfortunately that was impractical. Whatever else you could say about the workers (most of it less than flattering) they knew how to fix tech. Fast. On the other hand, Plog and his exalted kind were best on the battlefield or in charge of important facilities. While he knew that his job was vital, Vikkal couldn't suppress the instinct to go out and be amongst the first to meet the kriffing Republic forces. If they managed to actually pass through the shields.

After their previous visit, the Queens were displeased, issuing orders that their world must be turned into fortress, thus making a repeat performance highly unlikely. While it would have been better if the Geonosians allies had managed to win in space, Plog actually preferred it this way. The last battle had been over before more than a handful of his kind could engage the enemy, because they were stationed at locations rather far away from the places the GAR attacked.

This time it was going to be different. The Geonosian Elite Warriors were mobilized and ready for battle. They, just like Vikkal, were cybernetically enhanced war machines, wielding powerful beam weapons and protected by master crafted armor. He smiled at the thought and almost reverently petted the heavy weapon which encased his right hand, before returning his attention to the holographic display representing his world's orbitals.

The defenses were almost gone and the enemy transports were growing near. He smiled when the nearest comm station hissed to life, announcing that now all ground based anti-orbital weapons were free to seek targets of opportunity.

He was still smiling when moments later, a monomolecular blade found a weak spot in the armor surrounding his neck and severed his spine.

**=RK=**

The command center stood still, the six Elite Warriors who were providing internal security just staring at their leader. First they saw the blade, sticking from the back of his neck. It sparkled, the air around it warping, revealing a dull red metal hand, to which it was attached.

"One Meatbag down." A mechanical voice muttered.

The guards raised their weapons a moment too late. The air twisted further, showing a heavily armed droid, which had sneaked in their midst. Before they could line up shots, the command center was turned into a charnel house when multiple explosions shook it, pelting everything within with half molten shrapnel. Consoles became pieces of fast flying death, scything unprotected Geonosians.

HK-117 jumped back, thermal detonators flying from his hands. At the same time, two stealthy drones became visible near the ceiling, sending crimson lances at a single Elite Guard.

In all the bedlam no one noticed how the locking mechanism of the doors was fused shut.

The assassin droid would have smiled if he could. This was what he was made for! Pure, unrestrained havoc! HK-117 danced, faster than most organics could follow, barely evading beams of amber light. The Command Center shook again, bathed in the light and heat of thermal detonators blowing up.

In bare moments, four of the seven Elites were taken out, evening the odds.

The assassin rolled left, amber beam briefly grazing his shield. That alone drained a third of his deflector, sending warnings through his system. He jumped over a trashed console, a repeating blaster in his hands. Behind the droid, the drones were playing tag with one of the Elites, while the last two were engaging him. HK-117 hit the ground and rolled, avoiding a sweeping beam. His weapon spoke, shredding blaster bolts at the unprotected feet of the overgrown insect. Its agonized screech was music for the droids audio-receptors.

The heavily armored being crashed on the ground, while his buddy tried to bisect the assassin with its weapon. HK evaded by a hairbreadth and threw a thermal detonator, finishing its wounded victim. Then he vaulted forward, using the blast wave as booster for his jump. The nimble machine flew over the other Elite Geonosian, avoiding a sweeping beam of deadly energy. HK-117 landed lightly on his feet, moving in a blur. His blaster clattered on the ground just as the droid slammed a pair of vibroblades in the back of the big Geonosian. The local whimpered when the assassin twisted its weapons, before withdrawing them an letting his latest victim fall bonelessly to the ground.

HK-117 turned his head to the right and his artificial eyes glared at the single remaining drone. The other one was already turned into molten slag by the last remaining Warrior.

"I expected more from you, guys..." the droid shook his head sadly. "You couldn't handle just a pair of meatbags!" He sounded affronted at his synthetic siblings' failure.

The Geonosian turned his head towards the sound a moment after disposing off the second drone with a well aimed shot. Only to see the cooling corpse of his comrade and no sight of the infernal machine.

"Looking for me?" A hated voice asked from behind. Before the Warrior could swing his bulk around, HK jumped on his back, blades slashing down.

A few seconds later, the ancient droid made his way to the raised platform where he assassinated the facility's commander. It was the one place that was still somewhat intact. HK plugged himself in the Command Centers network and started working, while the base's security were attempting to breach the door. He wasn't concerned. It was a really nice door, the finest Geonosian engineering could make. It would hold for a few minutes. More than enough time.

By the time the entrance was breached by the base's security, the shields were powered down, leaving the complex vulnerable. It would be fifteen minutes before one of the secondary command centers could bypass the lock down initiated from the command center. Even longer before they could reactivate the shields.

It would be far too late.

**=RK=**

**Republic Assault ship "Unto the Breach"  
Low Orbit over Geonosis**

Shaak Ti suppressed a shudder when the drop pod sealed around her. A moment later the HUD of her light armor lit up with green light showing that all systems were nominal.

"Drop in T minus thirty!" The commander responsible for the initial part of the deployment shouted in her communicator.

"All units, sound off." The Jedi ordered. She was pointedly trying not to think about the madness she was about to take part in. Shaak Ti patched herself through the frequency of her command battalion, listening.

"First Platoon, A Company is green!"

"Second Platoon, A Company is nominal..."

She took a deep breath, calmed by the professional discharge of her soldiers. Just ten of the pods showed red lights and she was thankful for the excellent job the engineers did in making the new tech perform up to spec. For now. The real test was about to commence.

She switched channels, listening as the battalions started reporting their readiness.

"Second Battalion, Helldiver Regiment is green. Only seven malfunctioning pods." A Clone Commander reported.

"Third Battalion, Helldiver Regiment is green. Five pods down." This crisp voice sent shiver down Shaak Ti's spine.

She was still unable to make up her mind about Veil's newest apprentice. Aria Astra. A clone of a Chiss woman, who was also a Sith. Not to mention that she led the first attack on the Jedi Temple in millennia. Yet Veil had saved not only saved her at the end of the battle, but taken her under his wing. While Ti knew that what happened wasn't really the woman's fault, not when she had been used as a brainwashed, disposable weapon, she simply couldn't help it. Long time friends of hers, good people, had died in that attack. The fact that Aria was a Sith didn't help either. It wasn't like she was seeking redemption by trying to turn a new leaf and join the Order.

What she felt towards Astra wasn't hate. Not really. It was something she couldn't really place into words. It was more akin to resentment, because of how easy she was given a second chance. Not even a slap on the wrist for her actions, instead she was rewarded by being apprenticed to a powerful Force Adept.

"Ten, nine, eight…" Shaak Ti's scattered thoughts were interrupted by the pre-launch countdown.

She took a deep breath and spoke: "May the Force be with you!"

"One..."

A loud thump later and sudden acceleration slammed into the Jedi Master.


	63. Chapter 20 Part 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**Phase 20: Red Dawn**

**=RK=**

**Part 3**

**10 km above Planetary Shield Generator Complex**

**Geonosis**

Aria hadn't been more afraid in her short life. Certainly not when she led the attack on the Jedi Temple. That had been exhilarating, the first time she had felt alive. Not even while she laid dying in the great hall, broken and defeated. Then she had been relieved more than anything else. She had failed in her mission, no matter that it never had a chance of success and accepted the price.

When her Master held her very soul in his hands and saved her… She was both stunned and fascinated at the raw power she felt. As if the Force itself was his to command.

Oh, Aria knew that he was one of the most dangerous men she would ever meet, that in anything resembling a stand up fight she would lose. At least before her training was fully completed and that was many years away. Yet she didn't fear him. There was respect of the man and the power he wielded, but strangely enough no fear despite the simple fact that she survived only because of his good will.

Now however, she was terrified. Strapped in a flimsy shell of durasteel composite, protected by a thin sheet of armor and shield barely enough to survive a high speed reentry… Hurling through the atmosphere as a shell send downrange… Fear clawed at Aria's mind, cold sticky fingers gripping her very soul. Despite the high temperature caused by the re-entry and the environmental controls of her armor, she felt chill spreading from the frozen pit that was her stomach. Aria shuddered and gritted her teeth.

She was better than this! Aria snarled. She loathed her fear. It was a weakness, making her vulnerable. It was unacceptable.

That thought was promptly thrown out of her head, when her pod jumped and shook. Aria squeaked, dimly remembering that it was all going according to plan. The drop pod was supposed to enter a wild and erratic flying pattern, making it harder to hit.

It didn't help her. At all.

Aria closed her eyes and for the first time in her life she started praying. First to the Force and then to anyone, anything that was listening.

No one was listening. Her ride started shaking even harder, as if it was already coming apart. Alarm blared and sudden wave of DE-acceleration slammed into the young Sith. Aria had time for one last shriek, before the pod peeled off around her, letting her free fall for the last kilometer or so. Her HUD lit up with warning signs, marking targets of opportunity and active sensor envelopes.

"Kriiiif!" Aria shouted just as the gravity reestablished its hold over her. Finally her training kicked in, moment after a rail round buzzed near her head. She slammed the controls of the repulsor pack on her back and darted at the ground, hoping to get below the engagement envelopes of the myriad of AA emplacements pinging her.

Moments later the anti gravity pod whined in protest as she returned it to default setting and it tried to prevent her from slamming in the roof of nearby building. It was a somewhat successful maneuver, because Aria didn't become a stain on the roof. Instead she landed hard, the mechanized joints of her armor protesting as they absorbed the hit. Her HUD flashed with yellow warnings, showing marginal damage to her knee and ankle armor joints.

Aria smiled. While her armor was damaged, her body was not. More importantly she was back on a firm, solid ground. Roof. Whatever. She wasn't falling down from orbit anymore and that was the important thing!

The Sith in training retrieved her Carbine from its magnetic hook on her back, discarded the spent repulsor pod and looked around, using both the Force and her armor's built in sensors to get her bearing. She was about a click from the control center of the Shield Generator Complex, which was the primary target. Shock troopers and pieces of pods were raining around her, further confusing the defenders.

Aria braced herself. She had wasted entirely too much time on that roof. It was time to join the action. She took a deep breath, trying to calm down a bit her heart, which was pounding like a jackhammer in her chest. It didn't help. "Damn. And we Sith were supposed to be fearless..." she muttered.

Aria gulped, steeled herself and sprinted toward the edge of the roof.

**=RK=**

**Planetary Shield Generator Complex**

**Geonosis**

"Woohoo!" Boil exclaimed as he slammed into a confused B1 droid, instantly turning it into a pile of scrap.

Waxer landed about thirty meters to the west and wasted no time in retrieving his AR and opening fire at a nearby squad of SB droids. He shot the neares, which was facing him and then pumped a grenade in the midst of the others. The following explosion threw mechanic limbs and heads in all directions.

"Kriff it, that was awesome!" Boil shouted at his brother, who was dashing his way.

A woman shrieked nearby. The Clone whirled that way, his blaster at the ready. His grin grew wider when he saw the General's apprentice jumping from the roof of the building to his left. She opened fire from mid-air, suppressing a pair of Command Droids which were sneaking at him. Her wild bursts nailed one, which made for an awesome video, the other machine ducked behind a nearby cargo hauler. While the droid found temporarily reprieve from the crazy lass, it made a perfect target for Boil who didn't waste the opportunity and blew up the clanker.

"Ma'am, Troopers Waxer and Boil reporting. What are your orders?"

Aria stared at them for few seconds before shaking her head and pointing at the biggest building on their right.

"We are taking the control center."

"Just the three of us?" Waxer asked, a hint of incredulity creeping in his usually professional voice.

"Awesome!" Boil grinned.

"Do I look suicidal?" She asked, sounding affronted. "They are coming with us, she waved behind the pair.

"The more the merrier." Boil shrugged.

His HUD was showing the better part of a company of Helldivers converging on their position.

"Kriff. My HUD's busted." Waxer grumbled after glancing behind them.

"Just shoot any clanker or overgrown insect you see." he quipped at his brother.

"Enough chit-chat. We are going in!" Aria ordered and sprinted towards the command center.

The two Clones glanced at each other, shrugged and ran after her.

**=RK=**

**Republic Cruiser "Negotiator II"**

**Low Orbit over Geonosis**

Obi-Wan stared at Cody's smug looking helmet. Then at the heavy blaster in the Commander's outstretched hand.

"You are never going to drop it, are you?" Kenobi moaned, resignation written all over his face.

"And risk that you slide back to your old ways?" The Clone shook his head sagely. "Not a chance, sir. Now grab the kriffing blaster and that rocket launcher."

"Veil put you up to this, didn't he?"

"The General might have given us a suggestion or two."

Obi-Wan was positive that Cody was beaming under his helmet.

"Did he now?" The Jedi asked.

"Yep. No charging the enemy to get into melee range for us. Next time you decided that doing so is a great idea, we'll just let you go on your own and provide moral support while staying back in cover."

"Ah. So he did read that AAR."

"Among others. It might please you to know that he had some… enlightening things to say to us, because we chose to charge right after you."

"I have no doubt about that." Kenobi muttered.

"So, lets make sure. No suicidal charges, attacking well defended position with light weaponry…" Cody started checking out items from a mental list.

Obi-Wan groaned. He could swear that the nearby Clones were snickering at his predicament.

"We'll be in position in three! All units, board your transports and strap up!" The voice of the Cruiser's Captain blasted from hidden speakers.

"You heard the Skipper!" Cody roared. "Mount up, on the double!" The Commander returned his attention to Kenobi. "Good luck, General." The Clone handed him the heavy blaster and headed towards his own transport.

Kenobi shook his head, a small smile creeping on his face. At least Cody and the rest of his troopers were warming up a bit towards him after the disaster that was Ryloth.

When he thought about it, his face became a granite mask. That battle had been an utter mess and he had been chewed up about it by both Veil and Valentra. Hell, right now it was a part of the Officer Training Course as a textbook case on what not to bloody do.

Obi-Wan jumped in the LAAT that would be carrying him down, placed his blaster on the weapon rack and unhooked his helmet from his belt where it had been hanging, before placing it in place and sealing it. At Ryloth he had acted as he has been trained. As a peacekeeper. And it had gotten a lot of people killed, including the villagers who he had hoped to save by not engaging the enemy with heavy weaponry in their vicinity. That had backfired in spectacular fashion, though not as bad as with Skywalker's unit.

Once that debacle had been over, after he had been debriefed on the operation by GAR brass and intelligence officers, something that was now a SOP after any major operation (minor too if it was practical), all his mistakes had been pointed out to him in painstaking detail. Then he had been handed some light reading – books on military tactics and strategy. To top it all, he and the Jedi Officers on Coruscant who weren't expected to be immediately shipped out to the front were sent to mandatory short courses of Command Training as Valentra had dubbed it.

Most of it had been useful stuff, downright vital even. Things that the Jedi should have been taught before being handed command and sent straight in battle. Frankly in hind-sight he had to agree with Veil. Considering some of his command decision, it was miracle that Cody or one of the other Clones hadn't fragged him.

Kenobi was returned to the present, when the two squads that were supposed to act as his bodyguards piled in and started strapping in. He briefly glanced at each one of them. They and their brothers would live or die based on how good a job he did as a General. Obi-Wan gulped. For this operation all ground forces that were nominally under his command were present. He had the fate of more than a hundred thousand men in his hands.

It should have been just as every other time a Jedi had a job to do. He should be viewing them with a dispassionate detachment, not allowing any sentiment he might be feeling to color his better judgment. That would have been the case if Ryloth never happened. His friendship with Cody and few of the other Clones under his command wouldn't have mattered. Or the way he had almost lost it during that ill thought battle.

Now however, Obi-Wan simply couldn't force himself to view his men as simply assets that needed to be spent to achieve victory, the way a proper Jedi was supposed to.

"We are deploying in twenty! Clear the hangars!" the Captain ordered. Moment later alarms came to life and a calm female voice started a count down.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and called the Force to his aid. Her cool embrace calmed him down, yet provided no answers.

The count down came to zero and the LAAT shot out of the hangar, joining thousands of others, which were about to make plantetfall. Bellow them, heavily shielded Acclamators were already entering the atmosphere, preparing to provide close air support before disgorging their own gunships and transports closer to their targets.

With the planetary shield up, such an attempt would have been a suicide, but now, with the fleet busy delivering orbital strikes, most of the first assault wave would make it down. And the real bloodbath would begin.

Kenobi opened his eyes and stared at the holotanc in the center of his LAAT, which was showing the tactical situation. Despite the overwhelming surprise and the saturation orbital strikes, transports were winking out of existence, taken out by ground emplacements that were silenced seconds later. Obi-Wan's eyes narrowed. His men were already dying and he couldn't do anything to help them. Veil's words echoed in his head.

"_Obi-Wan, one day you will have to chose between being a one of this era's good little Jedi and a General. From what I've seen, more often than not, those positions don't mesh well together."_

"_And become a Sith instead?"_

"_Well, if you want I probably can find time for one more apprentice, but we both know that this isn't what I mean."_

"_I've given a look or two to the ancient Holocrons. They do paint quite a different picture of the Jedi. Especially those who weren't exclusively trained on Coruscant."_

Kenobi shook his head. He knew what Veil has been doing. Not that the man even tried to hide it during their conversations. He had planted seeds of doubt in Obi-Wan's heart and left him to make his own mind. Dealing with someone who just tried to turn him against the Order or the Republic would have been easy, simple even. This however, was something different.

How do you fight the truth staring you in the face?

Then they hit the atmosphere and the ride became rather bumpy.

**=RK=**

**Chancellor's Office**

**Senate Building**

**Coruscant**

Palpatine sat behind the desk in his brand new office. While it was a rather spacious room, even bigger than his old one, his new little kingdom was in the depts of the building, behind more than a dozen checkpoints. Now there was a whole legion in the Senate and around it as a matter of course. More concerning were the myriad of intelligence agents crawling all over the place. Even one such as him simply couldn't mess with all of their heads without no one noticing. Especially when there was a rotating squad of Jedi on the premises.

It was all Veil's fault! That kriffing upstart had suggested the Senate's security overhaul, presenting multiple options…. And the current one was the best for Sidious. The rest made him all but prisoner despite all the power he wielded. The worst was that he simply couldn't worm his way out of accepting. After all, those suggestions had made his life as the Chancellor not only safer but easier too… As Sidious however...The new security measures had significantly curtailed his freedoms as the shadow figure behind the Confederacy.

The worst thing was that in practical terms, it didn't meant all that much. Not with the mess that was the CIS leadership right now. Dooku was still on his hunt, trying to find out who exactly was backing the mysterious faction that had been messing up his plans lately.

The only bright news on the horizon was that no matter what Veil did, Geonosis was going to be a bloodbath, which was going to inevitably damped his popularity with the Senate and the public at large. Unfortunately, simply ordering him killed or arrested on trumped up charges wasn't going to hold up on a smell test anytime soon, not with GAR loving the man and likely to rise up a stink if something direct was done through official channels. Which left more subtle ways of dealing with Veil.

Well, there was always assassinating the man, however it was unlikely that it would work, after all he was rather powerful in the Dark Side. That still left using bounty hunters as additional distraction. Yeah. That would be best, combined with keeping Veil away from important pieces of his plan. Perhaps sent him to Mandalore next. The General appeared to be rather fond of that mercenary he had met on Ryloth. She and the Death Watch would prove a nice distraction, while the Sith reestablished their place in the CIS command structure.

Besides, it wasn't as if Veil's disruptions were all for the worse. The Self proclaimed Sith was doing a splendid job of discrediting the Jedi. Not to mention that Veil was concentrating most of their attention on himself. On the other hand all that would be a moot point if he could get Veil as his new apprentice. Perhaps him and Anakin both…

That left the war itself. The conflict should have been a grand deception more than anything else. Instead now it was fast escalating into a full scale war, one which was resisting anyone's attempts at controlling it. The original plan of ending it and simply eliminating the CIS leaderships while they awaited a reward, the fools, wasn't going to work. Because now the Republic's public and Senate wanted their heads mounted on pikes for everyone to see. While he personally found all that hatred delicious and empowering, it presented a problem. Now the Confederacy was starting to play for keeps and the only reason they haven't won yet was his machinations, leading them to spent ships and troops by striking secondary targets. Oh, Veils victory at Ryloth and probable success at Geonosis would go a long way in balancing the scales, but it would be a close run thing. So much so that he had to be very careful when doing anything that might affect the Republic's war machine.

At this stage a fast CIS victory wasn't in his best interest. It wouldn't be until he and Dooku were able to reestablish themselves as the undisputed leaders of the Confederacy. Some blackmail, assassinations and honeyed words would go a long way to achieving that goal. However it would take some time.

Of course, ideally, the war would go on for years yet, enabling him to finish building the foundations of his Empire. Unfortunately the slaughter of the senators did more harm in that regard. Oh, a significant part of his standing opposition was gone, however a lot of his supporters went with it too. Now he would have to deal with a lot of new faces, which in turn would mean a that he would have to rebuild a part of his power base.

After all, it simply wouldn't do for the Senate not to elect him as an Emperor when the time came.


	64. Chapter 20 Parts 4&5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**Phase 20: Red Dawn**

**Part 4**

**=RK=**

* * *

**Planetary Shield Complex**

**Geonosis**

Shaak Ti loved the orbital drop. Diving through the atmosphere at breathtaking speeds, called to a primal part of her being, making her predator instincts cry in joy. The Force, enhancing her senses, made it even better. There was a thrill in risking one's life, when everything was placed on the line and adrenaline pumped through her vein. A feeling, she had learned to suppress during her years as a padawan.

There were only a few times Ti allowed herself to let loose, reveling in her Togruta nature – only during her brief visits to the native savannah of Shili.

This was one of those occasions. Shaak Ti could feel the pod wrapped around her, the way it sliced through the air, the acceleration as she headed towards the ground as fast as her ride could carry her. The Jedi sensed the danger of targeting sensors glancing over the thin armor protecting her, the fight or flight reflex awakening in her system making her blood race faster. The General had to force her mind to focus, letting the Force flow through her. Her senses stretched, searching for enemies within her range.

There was a veritable hive of droids below her, most of them ignoring the dropping soldiers, and moving towards the control center. So the agent who brought down the shields was probably still alive. She took a moment to search for them, finding only vague impressions of scared or determined locals and lots and lots of droids.

The journey down was over all too soon. The pod around her flaked open, letting her free fall for the last few hundred meters with only a repulsor to soften her landing. The Jedi master used the Force to guide her descent, gathering a halo of telekinetic energy around her. Some of the machines below looked up, finally paying attention to the shock trooper's approach. A few of them raised their weapons, opening fire.

It was too little, too late. The Jedi ignored the few wild shots that somehow managed to hit her, the blaster bolts splashing harmlessly over her shield. Her attention was consumed by controlling the increasing field of power she was gathering.

Then Shaak Ti hit the ground, landing on her hands and knees. The repulsor pod attached to her back burning out with the strain of slowing her down. The moment she touched down, the Jedi released all the gathered energy in a tightly controlled shock-wave, throwing away every single droid in a ten meter radius around her. The machines flew like rag-dolls, breaking apart when they hit a solid surface.

The Jedi stood up, her lightsaber eagerly jumping into her open palm, following her will and she dashed forward, heading for the nearest group of droids. To her right, the open entrance of the Command Center as inviting target, however Shaak Ti had no intention of getting herself exposed to whatever defenses waited there. Instead she charged a squad of SB droids, introducing them to her blade.

All around her, the Helldivers started landing, raining plasma and explosives upon the exposed enemy. Among them was a familiar presence, casting dark shadows through the Force. The Jedi Master frowned. Veil's new apprentice had just arrived.

Shaak Ti submerged herself deeper in the Force, ignoring the rising anger within her heart caused by the new presence and continued dicing droids. At least that had calming effect upon the Togruta.

**=RK=**

* * *

**Republic Cruiser "Chimera"**

**First Assault Fleet Flagship**

**High Orbit over Geonosis**

"Commodore Holt's battle group will be brought up to full strength within the hour," Yularen reported.

"Good. She is to hit the targets on the Alpha list immediately after her command resupplies."

"Are you sure, sir?" The Admiral asked.

"Yes. Don't worry. I'll deal with it if someone says that I'm exceeding my authority."

"Your plan will escalate the war even further."

"Can't be helped. We've been very lucky so far. However, the Republic is one major operation going awry from being put back on the defensive. Right now we have a temporary advantage in space and the window of opportunity will close shortly, as you very well know."

"I've seen the figures. The CIS will make good on today's losses withing two to three weeks. We won't be having much new construction coming online in the same period." Yularen frowned. "At least we have the Corellians on our side. Without their aid this wouldn't be possible. How would their government react?"

"Positively. I raised the possibility with their Governor-General and Senator Iblis."

"Having one of their officers in charge would help soothe them, too." The Admiral added.

"That's politics for you. It's not like you don't know it, Wulif. You can't get to such a rank without getting your hands dirty by dealing with the Senate's 'finest'."

"I have no idea what you are talking about, General." He attempted looking innocent.

"Riiight. Now back to work. What's the situation with the ships Skywalker borrowed?"

Yularen's expression became thunderous. "SAR is going over the somewhat intact wrecks. At least two third of the crews are gone for sure and most of the ground forces. His ship crash landed about thousand kilometers from our nearest LZ. Orbital scans confirm that there are survivors, who will be swarmed by the natives soon."

"I have half a mind to let the idiot to his fate." I muttered. Anakin's stunt had wasted the lives of a lot of good men, something which could have been avoided if the young fool stopped to think and came to me for help. Hell, we might have gone with exactly the same plan, just using skeleton crews and keeping the ground ponders, and not essential personnel off the Venators.

Still, he might prove useful for something, besides the men stranded with him didn't deserve to die because their commander was acting like immature imbecile.

"Subject the surrounding area to saturating orbital strikes, before sending in escorted Assault Shuttles to pick up the survivors. At least two squads of special forces too. They are to place General Skywalker under arrest and bring his damn carcass here."

"I'll see to it. Is that all?"

"Yeah. Just keep the fleet on alert in case the Seps still have a surprise or two for us. I'll go check the progress of the ground forces."

* * *

**Part 5**

**LAAT Troop transport**

**En route to LZ "Kyber"**

**Geonosis**

The initial landings were going much better than Obi-Wan expected. The uncontested orbital superiority had something to do with that. Then again, Veil's disregard for the locals and their world helped too. Every time when someone or something opened fire on the descending transports, it was promptly obliterated from orbit. The exceptions were the long range proton cannons, which were protected by theater shields. However those weapons were mere nuisance. All Landing Zones were chosen so they were out of effective range from those position.

Even in this situation, with the GAR having almost all possible advantages on their sides, Kenobi knew that the first phase of the invasion was anything but bloodless. He could sense Clones dying when their transports were struck by lucky enemy shots. He could sense groups of locals scream for a brief moment before their existence was snuffed out by return fire.

Kenobi's shoulders slumped. He had thought that Ryloth had been bad. Compared to this it was a joke. Even without trying he could feel the Force shift as people and other living things were immolated by turbo-laser fire. He concentrated, reinforcing his mental shields and the death cries became subdued and eventually quiet enough so he no longer heard them without trying. That very act made him feel shame, as a coward who ran from the truth.

Which was simple one. As a Jedi he had no place on this battlefield, no matter if his cause was just or not. What he and his fellow Order members should have been doing was to try mediating peace. Unfortunately that speeder had long left. There could be no settlement. Not after Naboo, Coruscant and Ryloth. There was only one path left to follow and it led to the Confederation surrendering unconditionally.

A spread of turbo-laser bolts struck something just over the horizon, lighting it up with sapphire fire. Obi-Wan recoiled, feeling tens of thousands die.

"What the kriff was that?!" He shouted.

One of the Clones assigned to his command squad, who was monitoring the situation, answered promptly.

"The enemy unmasked concussion missile launchers in a nearby town and were preparing to fire. One of the cruisers took them out." The Sergeant stated calmly. As if it was nothing out of the ordinary.

Obi-Wan wanted to shake the man. There were civilians in there. Were being the operational word. They were all dead now.

Kenobi looked around, faceless helmets stared back. He had a revelation then. The Clones surrounding him wouldn't, couldn't care. To them those people were enemies at worst and collateral damage at best. Oh, if ordered they would have tried to find another way to take those weapons or they would have had simply absorbed the losses and kept doing their jobs. However he wouldn't find any sympathy here beyond someone probably saying that it was "too bad".

Kenobi thought about calling Veil, until he remembered something. Everyone, including him knew the ROE for this campaign before the fleet was fully assembled. The only grumbling were about how constrained the rules were, at least in certain cases. What was worse, he had a suspicion that the non-Jedi officers commanding this campaign knew exactly what would happen when the enemy opened fire and used their own civilians as living shields.

And he already knew what Veil's answer would be. "Don't do this the next time and we won't have to vaporize your noncombatants." The worst thing was that most of the officers in this army might very well agree with the sentiment. He knew why too. Such wanton destruction would have been frowned upon before the CIS showed their real face. Not, the galaxy at large wouldn't really care. The nature of the war had changed and he had failed to really comprehend it.

"We are over the LZ." The pilot informed them.

That shook Kenobi out of his funk. Oh, he was going to have a chat with Veil, Valentra and the Council about the way the war had to be prosecuted. There had to be a way to avoid such wanton bloodshed in the future. He hoped so.

The door of the LAAT slid open revealing a large rocky expanse. It should have been covered with the red sands and rocks of Geonosis. Instead it was filled with thousands upon thousands of soldiers and war machines, with more arriving every second.

Not for the first time, Kenobi wondered what the kriff he was doing here.

**=RK=**

* * *

**Planetary Shield Complex**

**Geonosis**

Shaak Ti glared with disapproval at Veil's apprentice. That insane woman used a blaster rifle as a club against a SB droid, before she remembered that she had a lightsaber and ignited it, before jumping a short platoon of B1 droids.

"Crazy Sith..." The Jedi Master grumbled.

"General, we have the entrance secured. Most enemy security teams are either dealt with or contained." A Clone Lieutenant reported. "I have squads going after the AA emplacements."

"Good. Do you have two heavy weapons squads ready?"

"Three actually. They are near the gate."

"Well done. It's time to take the command center."

**=RK=**

* * *

HK-117 was getting bored. The meat-bags were still trying to breach into the control room, leaving him with very little to do. At least after he bobytraped most of the place. He would have grinned if he could. It would be impolite if he didn't have additional presents for his host.

The assassin droid almost trembled with anticipation. The locals had about to finish cutting through the door. They took their sweet time too, the incompetent fools.

The fireworks show caused by the cutting stopped. It was time. There were subdued noises as the equipment was moved and the assault team got in place. HK activated his stealth field and vanished from sight.

The heavy door was thrown in by shaped charges. A spread of concussion grenades were next, followed by eight commando droids and two Geonosian warriors. HK merely sent a signal which activated the explosives with which he had lined the walls around the door. They were shaped charges too, concentrating most of their power in narrow cones. The two massive locals were gutted in the initial explosions as well as three of the droids in the back.

The rest scattered, searching for threats. HK threw his last thermal detonator through the destroyed door before he took aim and blew off the head of the nearest commando. Their return fire splashed over his shields doing no damage. He laughed when the detonator exploded ensuring that the inferior CIS models wouldn't be receiving reinforcements any time soon.

**=RK=**

* * *

**Republic Cruiser "Chimera"**

**First Assault Fleet Flagship**

**High Orbit over Geonosis**

I slumped in my bed, after drinking a couple of painkillers. The stunt I pulled with the Battle Meditation had side effects and they were home to roost. My body felt on fire, which was getting worse. I was doing my best not to access the Force, but it was hard. A long time ago, keeping in constant contact with the energy field which was everywhere had become an instinct just like breathing.

The fact that I could acutely feel the death and suffering on the planet below didn't help matter. The opening moves of the invasion were feeding the Dark Side, indirectly making me and any Sith who might be in this system a bit more powerful. It was a small, subtle thing. Not really measurable unless it was over a long period of time, but it was nevertheless true. It was one of the greatest traps of the Dark Side. She fed on strife, conflict and suffering. In turn she made the Sith being in their vicinity more powerful even if they weren't actively participating. Even worse, she twisted one's perceptions, making them enjoy those sensing those negative emotions.

It was no wonder that most if not all Sith got insane in the end. It was addicting, making you crave more and more violence and suffering. It was something I reveled in after my training in the Sith Academy. If it wasn't for meeting Vette and later Ashara I would have succumbed to the madness. They kept me safe and more importantly, they were my consciousness.

Here and now, there wasn't such a person in my life. While there were a few people I would call friends, none of them counted as far as keeping me in check went.

I closed my eyes, exhaustion numbing my senses. The Dark Side of the Force laughed all the way until sweet oblivion claimed me.

**=RK=**

* * *

"My naughty apprentice..." A painfully familiar voice rumbled to my right.

I cracked an eye open and groaned. Garish, yet tasteful robes. Check. Short, blond hair. Check. My second Sith Master. Just my luck.

"You look better." I quipped. Damn, my head hurts.

"I know, its great." She winked at me. Bloody infuriating woman.

"Am dreaming, ain't I?"

"Ohh, do I feature often in your dreams?"

"You know very well that I don't dream. You taught me the technique to secure my mind during sleep yourself."

"I also know how to bypass it at need, apprentice."

"I haven't been your apprentice in a long, long time."

"Now, now. Even if you helped me arrange my 'death' I don't remember terminating our relationship, Veil." She pouted.

"As if you couldn't have jumped in another body without my help."

"Details." She sniffed.

"So any reason to haunt my dreams?"

"I'm glad you asked." There was glint in her eyes. Yeah, that one.

"What did you do this time?"

"I'm actually going to ask for help."

"Pull the other one."

"If you insist. It will be a moment, I just need to find my shock gauntlet. Ah, no matter." She raised her left hand, purple lighting dancing between her fingers.

"It's you all right. What did I do to deserve that?"

"Do you want me to answer as a Sith Lord or like one of the lesser beings populating the galaxy?" She gave me a disarming smile.

"What do you want?"

"I'm in a bind and you are going to rescue me, my knight in not so shining armor!" She declared imperiously.

"I'm a damn Sith! Leave that nonsense for the Jedi."

"From what I hear, these days they are even more pathetic than usual." Zash snorted.

"I can't honestly disagree." I shrugged. Most of the Jedi weren't that impressive. On a very good day.

"Now, how soon can you came and rescue me?"

I gave her a deadpan look.

"I might have made a tiny miscalculation and ended in a bind." She pouted.

"And that's my problem why exactly? I already have one wanable Sith Lord and his cronies as competition. Why the hell would I want to unleash the real deal?"

"Because you have much bigger problem than Sidious?"

Now that got my attention. Not that I trusted anything she said, no matter how fun she usually was.

"Ah, I got you now!" She jumped in triumph. Honestly considering her general bearing and attitude, Zash would have been killed a long time ago if she wasn't one of the most powerful Sith I've ever met. Most Sith took offense at her usually chipper and cheerful attitude. Then again, most who were dumb enough to voice their displeasure didn't live long. Or just got embarrassed depending on her mood.

"Zash!" There was a hint of warning in my voice.

She grinned. "I need you to retrieve the body I'm currently stuck in. And get me a new one if it's not too much trouble."

"Why now?"

"I finally got back enough of my powers to manifest myself this way."

I glared.

"Oh, don't be like that. I know you like me."

"I do. You are my favorite Sith, which isn't a secret. That still doesn't answer the question why I might consider helping you and making my life much more difficult."

"Two reasons." She smiled brightly. Then she proceeded to tell me why I was going to rescue her and like it.

I didn't stop cursing long after I awoke hours later. After wrapping the mess on Geonosis and dealing with Skywalker I had my job cut off for me.

**=RK=**

* * *

**Old Republic Assault Cruiser "Victory"**

**High Orbit over Tython**

A Force projection appeared in front of a stasis pod containing a desiccated corpse. The apparation of blond woman smirked before noticing another presence. She turned around and frowned.

There was a Force Ghost waiting for her.

"Well, this is unexpected. To what do I own the 'honor' of your visit, Master Shan?"

"Did he agree?"

"But of course! My former apprentice is a gentleman! Not like yours!" Zash smirked.

"If he is, it's despite your efforts, not because of them."

"Spoilsport."

"You still haven't answered my question."

"I forgot. It's probably because of my state." The Sith waved at the stasis pod. "My memory is not what it once was."

"You are enjoying this, aren't you?"

"I'm still alive, all my enemies are now dead. Besides, I'll soon be free to conduct my research in peace." Zash grinned. "What's not to like? Besides my apprentice is still around to needle. How's yours? Oh, I forgot. He's insane, isn't he?"

"I'm already regretting this arrangement." The Former Grandmaster of the Order glared at her accomplice before vanishing.

Zash chuckled with delight and closed her eyes. Her projection was slowly absorbed into the stasis pod containing her current body.


	65. Interlude: Things best forgotten

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**Interlude: Things best forgotten**

**=RK=**

**Extract from Imperial Strategic Operations Archive**

**Retrieved from Dromund Kaas**

**Voice 1:** _"__It was an otherwise unremarkable system. Just a single white dwarf, a thin disc of rogue comets and useless rocks floating in space and a frozen ball that an enthusiast astronomer might mistake for a tiny planet."_

**Voice 2:** _"__Not surprising. Please continue."_

**Voice 1:** _"__There were no resources of note there. The surrounding systems were similarly empty. Useless. Far from the trade lanes too, making sure that no one respectable would have a reason to go there. Thanks to the gravitation fields of a bunch of red dwarfs and a single, lazily moving black hole, which were nearby, as far as interstellar distances go, that tiny ice ball was well protected from prying eyes." The voice paused, laughing bitterly._

**Voice 2:** _"__It was hard to find and even harder to reach hellhole."_

**Voice 1:** _"__That made it perfect. It was exactly what the Bio-Warfare division was searching for. And so, Black-site 34 was born. Just like it's sisters, that place was meant for bleeding edge research. Some of the best minds in the Empire were sent to work there. Some of the most insane too."_

**Voice 2:** _"__Genius and insanity are the two sides of the same coin. You were sent to do what the Empire required from you."_

**Voice 1:** _"__Keep telling yourself that, Major. I know better." _The man paused. A wet coughing could be heard._ "__It was in one of those facilities, the ones build deep below the perpetually frozen surface of the planetoid, where we made a breakthrough. An unholy combination of hundreds of viruses. Then I enhanced it further, adding genes to strengthen it's properties. So it could be more resilient, so it could spread faster, yet remain undetected for about a week or so."_

**Voice 2:** _"__So you succeeded?"_

**Voice 1:** The first man chuckled mirthlessly. "_Beyond my wildest dreams. That was before the Sith Alchemist overseeing the project got personally involved, using the 'mysteries' of the Force."_ He sneered. _"__It's because of that damn madman!"_

**Voice 2:** _"__We are aware of the Darth's intervention."_

**Voice 1:**_ "__Are you really? When I was done, we had it! A strategic weapon that could gut the Republic in just a week or two!"_ The scientist sneered. _"__You know what he did with it. To test it. Heh, perhaps that's better in the end. Even your superiors decided to bury the project when they saw what it was capable of." _The scientist paused. A note of horror entered his voice. _"You did it, right? You purged the Black-site?"_

**Voice 2: **_"The last remaining samples are contained. Now tell us again what exactly does it do."_

**Voice 1: **_"No, no, no... Fools. It can't be contained! It's just waiting! You need to..." _More wet coughing.

**Voice 2: **_"Administer the sedatives. We'll try again tomorrow."_

**Voice 3: **_"He won't make it. It's burning through the antidote."_

**Voice 2: **_"Pity. Order the druids to purge the ship and then sent it straight into the star. That kriffing shit creeps me out."_

**=RK=**

**Lab 3**

**Imperial Research Facility CRIMSON-71**

**Black-site 34**

**Outer Rim**

It laid dormant for millennia. Slumbering. Waiting.

The stasis tanks keeping it in check kept humming with energy fed by matter-annihilation plants buried near the frozen core of the small world. All of that was maintained by a horde of droids, making sure that everything ran as expected. The sentient machines futilely waited for their Sith Overlords to return.

For four thousand years they waited. And no one came.

Until now. The ancient ventilation systems shrieked to life, cool air flooding throughout the facility. And deep bellow endless corridors and fail-safes, an organism shuddered in anticipation within it's stasis tank. For even in it's slumber, it could sense fresh meat approaching.


	66. Chapter 21 Part 1

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 21: Burning sands**

**=RK=**

**Part 1**

* * *

**Kelrx'Po**

**Geonosis **

It was just a small village, build around an oasis in the midst of one of this wretched world's deserts. A bunch of stone shacks surrounding a patch of rocky ground, which had a depression housing a well.

It wasn't supposed to be a real obstacle. Just a speed-bump at best.

The locals had other ideas.

The supposedly harmless village now housed a shield generator, covering everything withing ten kilometer radius from orbital bombardment. To make matters worse, the place was situated directly in the route the Caamasi Lancers and their Ryloth Ranger auxiliaries were ordered to clear.

They were facing no light forces meant to simply slow down the Republic advance and that had Colonel Pell glaring through the image enhancer built in his helmet. Even from his position, lying on the top of a tall sand dune, twelve kilometers from the shield's edge, he could see more than enough.

There were hundreds of dug in Sep tanks, at least two divisions worth of the buggers. Trench lines criss-crossed the desert, housing thousands of droids and locals. Groups of the insectoids were patrolling, buzzing overhead their comrades on stubby wings.

The kriffing bastards had artillery too, the barrel's of which barely cleared the depression in the center of the village.

"Any ideas?" Pell asked the handful of officers and NCOs who were with him.

"Attacking them directly is out of the question." His XO grunted. "They will shoot us to pieces before we reach the shield, while we have to cross anything from seven to ten kliks. Whatever remains to actually engage the enemy will be easily dispatched."

"We can't wait for the navy pukes to our jobs either. It will take days and the whole area will be turned into molten rock." The most senior NCO of the Caamasi Lancers added his two credits.

No one suggested just leaving the stronghold in their rear areas even if they could afford sufficiently powerful blocking force.

"Major." Pell turned to the sole clone on the dune.

"Sir?"

"How many of those new stealth armors do you have?"

"A company worth of them, sir."

"I see." The Colonel smiled. "We'll need to create a distraction for them."

"A commando raid to take out the shield?"

"Or preferably the artillery too." The Caamasi officer nodded. "This is what we are going to do..."

**=RK=**

* * *

**Planetary shield generator complex**

**Geonosis**

Shaak Ti rolled forward, just in time to avoid a concentrated beam of coherent light, which tried to cut her in two. The air above her hissed as heavy blaster bolts seared through it, before slamming into the beam turret that was targeting her. The Jedi Master used the Force to brake herself a moment before the ensuring explosion sent a shock-wave down the corridor. Fire and shrapnel rained over the invisible energy protecting her, deflecting or splashing harmlessly over the Force.

Armored boots thundered behind her and the heavy weapons teams advanced towards the next obstacle in their path.

Shaak Ti frowned when a hand was trust at her to help her stand up. She looked up and the frown deepened when she saw the Chiss woman. The Sith apprentice had fought next to her for the past quarter hour, ever since they started the assault into the bowels of the command center itself. The younger woman had fought more precisely and less insane once they were inside.

It didn't help her case much. She still reeked of the Dark Side.

For a moment, Shaak Ti hesitated, before she grabbed the offered hand and the Chiss helped her up. She wasn't going to be the one to act as an uncivilized savage. She was a Jedi after all and they were held to a higher standards.

Two crimson eyes stared at the Jedi Master.

"What's your problem, anyway?" The Chiss asked and went after the clones without waiting for an answer.

The Jedi Master went after them, fumbling for an answer. The woman was a Sith, obviously reveling in destroying her enemies, if the little Shaak Ti saw from her so far was any indication. That should have been a reason enough.

Yet, she didn't voice it as a concern. Because it was something that her Togruta nature approved very much of, even if she was usually able to suppress it thanks to her Jedi training.

"Lance Actual, Charlie One. We have a mechanized column approaching. All orbital assets are tasked at the moment. Please advice. Over."

"Charlie One, Lance Actual. Slow them down. Are there any bomber or gunship units available to soften them up? Over."

"Negative, Lance Actual."

"Don't allow them to enter the complex proper, Charlie One. We'll joint you once the Mountain is secure. Over."

"Willco, Lance Actual. Over."

"Is there a problem?" The Chiss woman appeared next to Shaak Ti, startling her. The damn Sith had suppressed her Force signature. On purpose, Shaak Ti was sure. A growl emanated from the back of the Jedi's throat, before she could get herself back under control. The fact that the other woman had the gall to smirk at her wasn't helping either.

"We'll have more company soon. We need to take this building, now."

"Then try not to slow us down, oh great Jedi..." The Chiss grinned mischievously and sprinted into the dept of the facility, towards the sound of explosions and blaster shots.

Shaak Ti took a moment to compose herself and followed suit. For some reason that infernal woman had a knack for getting under her skin.

**=RK=**

* * *

**Anaxxian Rangers lead elements**

**Sixty kliks south of LZ "Kyber"**

**Geonosis**

"Intel said nothing about that!" A young Second Lieutenant shouted from the shallow depression in the sand he was using as a cover.

"I told you… sir. Intel usually can't find their asses with written instructions in hand and an astro-mech to lead the way." The gunnery sergeant, who was the NCO unfortunate enough to babysit the brand new LT, grunted from behind a nearby dune.

The grizzled old soldier shot a local who flew in his direction. Then he rolled down the dune, barely avoiding a barrage of the green stuff that the kriffing insects loved so much.

"That" was an apparent network of tunnels which the locals had used to a great effect. The damn critters had appeared in the mid of a Ranger column, announcing their presence with the detonation of a few well placed explosive devices, before they swarmed the Anaxxians. The damn insects were right amidst them, making an orbital or even an air-strike a no go. While there were elements of the other columns swinging their way to help, those soldiers wouldn't be there in time.

At least a third of the APCs in the column were already burning, most destroyed along with the people who they were supposed to protect. The rest had broken from the orderly advance, disgorging angry Rangers in the process.

That surely helped blunt the enemy onslaught, yet it made the situation even more chaotic, with human and aliens fighting hand to hand in places. A crazed local screeched and charged an APC and dove under it before detonating a bandolier with AP and HE grenades. The machine was picked up by the explosion and then slammed in the sands, before its power-cell blew up, scything Rangers and locals alike. Another native bludgeoned to death a Ranger, before he was cooked in his carapace by a flamethrower.

A group of Geonosians buzzed over the scattering column, shooting at anything that moved. They blasted apart a squad of Anaxxians, before the favor was returned by the turret of an APC.

Then an air-mobile unit appeared, adding to the slaughter. Lances of green light cut through groups of locals, while laser cannons reduced others to chunks of cooling chitin. Armored clones started rappelling down, shooting at any native they could see. A moment later they were joined by General Kenobi, who jumped from a LAAT, igniting his lightsaber in mid air, before landing into a group of natives who were using a pair of burning APCs as cover. Obi-Wan's blue blade danced as he glided through the Soresu forms, avoiding or deflecting everything the Geonosians were able to throw his way.

It was all over as fast as it began. The surviving natives scattered, slithering back into their tunnels. When the last went in, they detonated pre-placed charges, collapsing the entrances.

"Cody, find who is in charge of this mess and give me a sit-rep." The general paused. "This is Kyber Command, Kyber Actual. Slow down the advance and intensify recon runs. Be advised, the enemy has build tunnel networks in the AO. I want ground-penetrating scans of the area. Send med-evac to my position. Kyber Actual, Over."

**=RK=**

* * *

**CIS Death Bringer**

**Third Fleet Flagship**

**Hyperspace**

"Well, that could have gone better." Count Dooku muttered. He was browsing the last transmission from Geonosis before Republic jamming cut off communications from that system.

The Sith Lord appeared calm, which was a lie. His blood was boiling with barely suppressed rage. Geonosis was a trap. It should have been a decisive victory in space. The CIS had the numbers and firepower for one.

Instead… this. Before comms were jammed for good, a report on the situation was sent out. The CIS fleet had been all but annihilated, with low to moderate casualties for the Republic. The enemy had been moving on the fixed defenses, preparing to reduce them along with what little mobile forces remained in system.

Dooku grind his teeth. It was an unmitigated disaster. Oh, not in military terms, despite the great victory the Republic had apparently won in space. Just in a few weeks those numbers would be made up for by new construction. However, the Confederation had lost its momentum. They no longer could afford new offensives, unless they wanted to open themselves for potentially devastating counter-attacks.

At least in that respect, Geonosis was still working. It would tie up the victorious Republic fleet and a lot of their ground forces until it was reduced. And that would take months.

More than enough time for the CIS to leverage their advantages and make sure that the Republic wouldn't be able to make a good use of their own.

That still left Dooku with his real problem. He was en-route to a high level meeting of the CIS leadership, which would decide who actually ruled the Confederacy for the foreseeable future. After his capture and the series of disasters which started with that madness on Naboo, his position was far from secure. While Dooku could simply slaughter the imbeciles who thought that they had an authority over a Sith Lord, that wasn't a viable alternative. It could lead to the CIS fracturing and that would leave them as easy pickings for the ascendant Republic war machine.

As distasteful as it was, the Sith actually needed the sniveling cowards and bootlickers that made up most of the CIS council. For now.

The Sith Lord returned his attention to the computer terminal built in his desk and continued writing the kriffing speech he was to give, while his mind was busy planning how to charm or intimidate the various CIS leaders into supporting him and his master.

**=RK=**

* * *

****Republic Assault Cruiser "Hope"****

****Task Force Firewatch****

****En Route to the Outer Rim****

****Hyperspace****

"Are you insane?" One of the new soldiers assigned to her command all but screamed.

The new commander of Havoc squad fixed the man with a look that made him shut the kriff up.

"We have our orders. This 'Republic' has sent a black-ops team to the facility in question. You've all been briefed what's in that kriffing place. We are to eliminate the Commando teams that will attempt to breach the facility, retrieve a sample so our scientist can try creating an antidote."

"Then we torch the place?" Another of the new members of her unit asked hopefully.

"Yes. We'll be lugging in enough thermal charges to evaporate the facility. Anyway, the Navy will burn the place once we are out. Just in case." The woman nodded. "Now go familiarize yourselves with the new equipment. Captain Dorne, stay." The woman ordered.

When the other eight soldiers were out of the briefing room, only the last two original members of Havoc that remained.

"Ma'am?"

"Don't give me that, old friend." The other woman slumped back in her chair and nodded Elara to sit. "You've been briefed on what we are really after, aren't you."

"I'm the medical officer in the squad." Dorne shrugged, a ghost of a frown marring her face.

"This is probably the nastiest thing we've ever had to deal with."

"It makes you think, doesn't it?" Elara looked around, raising an eyebrow.

"The room is clean. I had our mechanical friend sweep it before the meeting and I have a suppressor active." The Major nodded at the desk she was sitting behind.

"It's a sheer madness. What the general wants..." Dorne trailed off.

"You are afraid that the sample we are supposed to retrieve will be deployed."

"We gave our oaths to protect the republic and her citizens. What we've been doing lately..." Elara shrugged. "Even if this is no longer the Republic we swore to protect." She looked at the ground.

"I've had misgivings for some time. Ever since we lost almost all from Aegis on Naboo."

"And the whole deploying of bio-weapons doesn't bother you?" Elara snapped.

"You know it does!" The Major grunted in frustration. "What do you want me to do?! This is no longer our galaxy! It's not like we can defect after what the general did on Naboo and Coruscant! You know how this works! They will use us until we tell them anything of value the we'll be made an example of as kriffing terrorists!"

"I know." Elara muttered. "The fact that they made that man a general in their Army is bad enough."

"Yeah. I never thought that the Butcher of Onderon would be on the 'Republic' side. That by itself is almost enough to justify what we've been doing."

"Kriffing Sith! He should have died ages ago!"

"Us too, if you want to be technical about it."


	67. Chapter 21 Part 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**Phase 21: Burning sands**

**=RK=**

**Part 2**

* * *

**Coruscant's Pride crash location**

**Geonosis**

"Kriff, what a mess..." Fixer muttered.

The cruiser appeared to be in one piece. Mostly. Twisted shards of the bow armor littered the length of a rather long patch of torn up and burning desert, where the ship first struck the ground and skidded over the sands until it came to a stop. The visible upper hull was blackened and twisted, with nasty looking gorges of molten armor where various weapons had struck the downed ship. One of the command towers was sheared in the middle and burning. The fire's black smoke was acting like a beacon for both the rescue party dispatched by the general and the locals, who were swarming the wreck. Squadrons of spacefighters were dueling with their native, air-breathing counterparts, vying for air superiority. Even from this height, Boss could see a lot of the locals buzzing over the superstructure of the downed cruiser, seeking entrance into the ship. Here and there, pockets of survivors were active, trying to deny the enemy a certain breach into the hull.

"At least a few made it." Sev noted.

"Task force Dagger, Delta Actual. You know our orders. Secure Skywalker, get as many of the survivors clear and get out of here so the fleet can glass the site." Boss spoke over the general frequency for his expanded command.

"We have armored column approaching nine o'clock." The pilot informed them.

"Sick Vega flight on them. Loren Actual, Delta Actual. Third platoon, Loren company, are with Delta. We are landing on the remaining command tower. Use the rest of your company to secure that breach near its base and start SAR from there."

"Wilco, Delta Actual. Red Three Actual is at your disposal." A calm voice came over the comm, giving Boss a pause. The speaker wasn't one of his brothers. It took him a moment to remember that half of the people participating in this particular exercise weren't clones.

The Clone commander returned his attention at the holotank built in the middle of the LAAT transport. He zoomed out and could see the whole AO, with the friendly and enemy forces represented by blue and red icons. He saw the bombers from Vega Squadron making an attack run over what appeared to be enemy armor. Moments later a lot of the land locked red symbols disappeared along with those of two bombers after a bunch of enemy craft pounced on them. A few seconds later, a group of interceptors vectored on the enemy fighters and blew them out of the sky.

They haven't landed yet and it was already a bloodbath.

"There is a breach just below the command deck of the tower." The pilot announced.

"We'll use it. Better than blowing our way in." Scorch added his two credits. "That place already took a lot of beating. I would prefer not to blow up any more of it than we need." The demo expert was looking on a holographic image of the command tower produced by the computer built in the left arm of his new armor.

"Get us as close as you can. We'll lead the way with the regulars moving in behind us." Boss saidand relied the command to Third platoon.

A large blue symbol appeared near the top of the holotank. A Corellian frigate was rather low, coming in for a strafing run over some enemy position in the vicinity. Her secondaries were busy erasing groups of the local's air-breathers as she passed above the battlefield. A few seconds later, flashes of light and rising mushroom clouds could be seen at various points over the horizon.

"We'll be in position in twenty." The pilot informed his cargo.

"You heard the man. Ready to deploy." Boss ordered, removing his eyes from the holotank. He took a position near the sliding door of the transport and removed his blaster for the magnetic clamp on his back.

Moments later, the LAAT came to a halt which was barely felt thanks to the inertial dampeners. The door slid open and the clones scanned for enemies. Seeing none, they jumped over the meter separating the transport and a jagged hole blown in the side of the command tower. Fixer was first, landing lightly on the armored deck of the cruiser and moving in to make space for his brothers. The rest of the commandos followed suit and their ride flew away, making room for the next bird which carried the first two squads from Third platoon.

Delta Squad didn't wait for the reinforcement and headed for the nearest entrance point for the deck above them. The regulars would secure start securing the rest of the tower while they checked on the obsolete command center overhead. According to the last info they got, Skywalker was likely to be there. Or at leas he was before the cruiser started crash landing.

**=RK=**

* * *

"That's new." Fixer muttered as he looked over the trashed command center.

"It's a first too." Boss nodded next to him.

The topic of their conversation was lying on the middle of the compartment in a bloody heap, while Scorch and Fixer were tending to him.

"Fleet Command, Delta Actual. We have the package and need a med evac for him. SAR for the rest of the crew is in progress. Will advice on estimated time frame when available, over." Boss reported to his superiors." He returned his attention to his squad. "As for you, stop tempting fate. We aren't out of this mess yet. Red Three Actual, Delta Actual. We have the package. Sent a squad to secure him at the Command Center at the top of the tower and continue securing the rest of the structure."

**=RK=**

* * *

**Command Center**

**Planetary Shield Generator Complex**

**Geonosis**

"Master Ti! You finally arrived!" HK-117 exclaimed with what sounded like a disappointment. "I was just starting to really enjoy myself." The assassin droid added as an afterthought. "Master Astra! You survived as well." The machine added when the Chiss woman waved at it.

Instead of answering, Shaak Ti was struck speechless as she watched the slaughter house in which Veil's pet mechanical psychopath had turned the command center. There were steaming chunks of the locals strewn all over the place, mixed with pieces of destroyed electronics. Not to mention the big armored Geonosians who appeared to have been cut apart by vibroblades.

Noticing the way she was looking around, HK beamed. "This is one of my better works, I have to admit." The droid declared smugly. It tilted his head to the side and asked, "Is something wrong?"

Shaak Ti simply glared at the assassin. She had the feeling that at best he would brush off any objections she had for the way he dealt with the enemy personnel. Besides, the Jedi Master had the sneaking suspicion that Veil would support his pet's course of action and anyone but another Jedi would simply shrug if she started bitching about it right now.

Needless to say, the Sith in the room appreciated the lesson in butchery, destruction and overall mayhem, if her grin was anything to go by. Even worse, the clones who had entered after the pair of Force Adepts were unfazed by the sight. She could feel that the slaughter hadn't disturbed them in the least.

"Well talk about this..." Shaak Ti waved at the smoking remains of the command center, "Later. Make sure that this building is of no use for the CIS. We'll be either leaving or entrenching this position shortly."

"I'll make sure the place is trashed." The Sith announced and left the room, laving a squad of demo experts to follow her.

"I'll go have fun… Ahem, hunt down enemy stragglers in the building." HK said and cloaked, becoming invisible.

"Command, This is..." Shaak Ti started reporting the situation in her AO. She needed to know if relief forces could reach her on time. If they didn't, she and the shock troopers would have to disengage and make it to friendly lines.

**=RK=**

* * *

**Kelrx'Po**

**Geonosis **

"Well, kriff." Colonel Pell muttered.

He could hear the sharp retorts of blasters behind the distant enemy positions. Moments later, that was followed by blue tinted explosions which lit up the night. The officer didn't need his binocular to see the shield covering the enemy slowly dissipating, which only added to the light show.

Now he needed to extract the special forces which were in the middle of the CIS controlled village.

"Soren Actual, This is Theta Actual. Drop the hammer on the following coordinates..." The Colonel proceeded to feed targeting information for the Ion canons of the cruisers in orbit corresponding to the dug in armor and infantry surrounding the village. The settlement itself was to remain largely intact. He wasn't ready to write off his only stealth capable special forces.

Soon enough the desert was lit up by azure lighting as the Ion charges struck the dug in enemy. The trenches were no protection for the Ion radiation which slagged electronics even before the energy buildup in the air started producing lighting which arched between tanks and individual droids, tearing the later apart. The battalion of locals spread through the machine's lines fared little better. The lighting found a lot of them, frying the insectoid aliens where they stood. More than a half of the force stationed there died, with most of the survivors suffering from second and third degree burns.

By the time the Ion energy started dissipating, there weren't enough CIS forces left to slow down a platoon, much less the Caamasi divisions that were ready to jump them.

In the village itself, the situation was different. They were out of the immediate kill radius of the bombardment, yet droids and various other tech on the outskirts were rendered useless with power surges making the life of those in the center difficult. That included both the Clone troopers attached to this prong of the offensive as well as their CIS counterparts.

In one fell sweep, the situation of the infiltrators went from a successful suicide mission to merely rather precautions.

Fifteen kilometers away, colonel Pell waited for a few minutes so the energy from the orbital strike could discharge before he gave the order to advance.

Dozens of heavy tanks roared to life and charged towards the decimated enemy lines. They were followed by their light brethren, which acted as both a screening force and flank protection. A short distance behind them, the heavies were followed by a swarm of APCs and AFVs, ready to provide support when needed.

While his regiment advanced on the weakened enemy, colonel Pell returned his attention to planning the next move of his forces. They still had to cross hundreds of kilometers before reaching their real target.

**=RK=**

* * *

**CIS Command Center**

**Location Classified**

**Geonosis**

"So we are cut off." Sev'rance Tann glared at the large holotank in the middle of the room.

Her special unit had been dispatched to this dust ball a few weeks ago on a special mission from Count Dooku himself. While their task was successfully accomplished, their number was cut in nearly half and they were stuck here. The fact that the Republic controlled the orbitals and eagerly shot down anyone trying to escape, made her job much harder that it needed to be. She had information that had to reach her master, yet she was cut off with all outgoing transmissions being jammed.

"Well, at least you have control over this sector of the planet." Forge grunted. Beside herself, the Mandalorian mercenary was the only one who got out mostly intact from the mess they found themselves in. That was a testament of his combat skills and the effectiveness of his custom build armor.

"That's not reassuring. This is the primary target for the Republic forces. If it wasn't for the redundant shields protecting us, we would have been evaporated yesterday." The Dark sider grumbled.

"Forge, go and check on the defensive lines. I want recommendation on how to improve them. I'll find out what we have to work with." And try finding a way out of this rock went unsaid. With the destruction of the fleet, it was unlikely that a relief force would be send any time soon.

"I'm on it, boss." The merc left her with the sorry remnants of her hand picked team.

Besides Forge, only a pair of Commando droids were combat capable at this time… after they were fixed in the shop during the night. The rest of the survivors, while patched up, weren't going to be fighting in the next week or so.

"You two, I want you to bring the prototype droids up to Commando standards programing wise."

"Roger, Ma'am." The Droid with Captain's paint on it's head and shoulders answered, before saluting and leaving the command center.

That left her alone with one of the highest ranking locals on the planet.

"_It wont be enough."_ The being said in it's clicking language.

"Of course not. All defensive plans hanged on keeping at least a part of the fleet intact to harass the enemy space presence if not wining outright. After the debacle yesterday, all we can do is to slow them down, bleed the Republic forces and keep them died down for as long as possible." Sev'rance stated.

"_In that case, I have some preparations to make."_ Poggle said and made his way out of the building.


	68. Chapter 21 Part 3 & Interlude

**AN: Part 3 and the Interlude were betaed by Uriel and various other folks on the Space Battles forums! Thank you all for the time and effort that it went in doing so!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it. It is not for sale or rent!**

**Phase 21: Burning sands**

**=RK=**

**Part 3**

* * *

**General Veil's quarters**

**Republic Cruiser Chimera**

**First Assault Fleet Flagship**

**High Orbit over Geonosis**

Awareness came back slowly. My instinctive reaction of reaching to the Force made my coming back to the world of the living rather unpleasant. Painful even.

Oh, yeah. I overdid it with the kriffing Battle Meditation. That was unpleasant even if it worked.

It did, right?

Ah. Yeah. We won the battle. My mind finally started working and I recalled what happened. Including that very vivid dream of my former Master, who was supposed to be dead. Of the deal we made. I carefully opened my eyes and looked around. Yep, this were my quarters on board Pellaeon's ship.

The only question was why the hell did that dream feelso real? Was the Force or that infernal woman who got me stuck here in the first place, playing games with my head? On a second thought, never mind. The Force has been trying to krifff me up royally ever since I knew her touch, damn irritating Dark Side.

I closed my eyes and carefully touched the Force. This time it was merely unpleasant instead of downright painful. It took me some time to check up onmy shields. The feeling of death, pain and misery that came with a planetary scale war were kind of distracting. A part of me was quite enjoying itself as I soaked the disturbing feeling coming from the world below me. It took me a few minutes to center myself and start reestablishing my shields which were rather frayed after last night's excitement.

The smug satisfaction coming from the Dark Side as it grew stronger from the war didn't make it any easier even if it have me more raw power to work with.

Still, I finally got myself under control and started checking up for Force Bonds.

First I sensed the vague familiar presence of my newest apprentice. Huh. Aria was bored, which was good. It must meant that she and my Shock Trooper regiment managed to do their job. Knowing her, Astra wouldn't be this calm if the mission to take out the Shield Generator Complex was unsuccessful.

Of course, the best news was that my apprentice felt all right, unharmed.

I sent her my approval through the bond and clamped on it on my side so I could continue my search undisturbed by the excitable Sith I was training.

A few moments later I was able to sense another bond, a bit weaker and older.

Whatever Jaybo was doing back on Corellia, the kid was quite excited, downright happy even. So leaving him temporally with the Green Jedi there appeared to be a good decision on my part.

After patting myself on the back for that idea, I continued my search.

This time it took longer, the connection I was looking for was ethereal, almost non-existent thing. If I wasn't specially looking for it, the kriffing thing would have slipped past my attention. It was too fickle, weak for me to follow it, yet that wasn't really necessary right now.

The very existence of that bond was important.

I opened my eyes, returning my attention firmly to the here and now. No apprentice worth their salt, no matter if they were Sith or even this era's Jedi, would fail to recognize the Force Bond with their Master.

Darth Kriffing Zash was somehow alive, if that word could be used for her body hopping state.

It took me a few moments of loud Huttese curses to calm down.

Damn it to all Corellian Hells, wasn't my life complicated enough already?! Kriff!

Zash herself I could easily ignore until this war was over. It wasn't like I haven't done it before, even when she had the power over me to try torturing me to death. It was the kriffing deal we made in that "dream". I needed to wrap up this battle and visit the Jedi Temple's Archives. I had to find a few answers about the past before deciding what to do with Zash.

For all I knew, she was desperate and lying through her teeth, even if I didn't recall any deception on her part.

I stood up, too abruptly for comfort and nearly fell on my ass. Damn, my balance was shot too. I took a deep breath, steadied myself and carefully made my way to the fresher.

**=RK=**

* * *

A hot shower made me feel somewhat better. At least good enough to drag myself to medical for some self medication. I apparently looked as bad as I felt, if the looks random clones and other assorted Navy personnel gave me while I was shambling through Chimera's corridors.

Soon enough, I was at the blast doors separating the last part of the way and the main medical bay of the ship.

They were conspicuously closed and had a squad of Clones wearing the new medium armors guarding the entrance. That was surprising. Did my boys catch someone important while I was napping?

"Sergeant, report." My voice sounded like gravel. Joy.

"General, sir!" The NCO in charge of the squad stood straighter, but didn't get to attention, neither moved his weapon from pointing loosely at my midsection. Good man.

"We have Skywalker in custody, General. Per Commodore Pellaeon's orders, the ship is under maximum security while he is on board, sir. I'll need to scan you before allowing you entry, sir."

Despite feeling like a shit I grinned. I doubted that if I ordered them to jut let me in, they would listen… Something that their still brainwashed brethren would do in a heartbeat, considering that I was the ranking officer in the fleet. It was good to see indication that consigning a lot of time and effort to deprogramming the Clones under my command was effective.

One day that may very well save my ass.

I stood still while a Corporal ran a hand held scanner over me, confirming that I wasn't someone or something wearing my face.

"Sir, you are free to enter." The Sergeant sounded relieved.

"Carry on." I said with an approving smile and passed into the med bay after one of the clones opened the doors.

Inside I found another two squads guarding a single Bacta tank in the far corner of the compartment. The device was pointedly placed in such a way as to be as far from the two entrances to medical as possible.

Going by what I was sensing from the Clones, Skywalker had blown all the goodwill he would ever have with them after his stunt.

I had to pause for a moment to rein in my anger. While initially Anakin did show some forethought by loading all but a skeleton crew no everything but three Venators, in the end he made it pointless by using one of them as a projectile to take out a battle station and the other as a shield for his own ship.

That reminded me, I needed to check up on what survived from 501stamong other things.

I shook my head, which was beginning to pound, and went to a nearby lab station, ignoring the medics who were giving me concerned looks.

"Unless one of you is familiar with treating Force burnout, you can carry on." I grumbled.

Now what exactly did I need for the kriffing witch's brew I was going to make and then drink?

While most of my attention was on the task at hand, I glanced at one of the Clone medics, who was hovering nearby. Probably in case I managed to poison myself or something.

"What's the status of the casualties? Do you folks have all that you need to take care of them?"

"We've got sufficient manpower and supplies, general. The casualties have been considerably lighter than expected. Actually we have you to thank about that."

"What did I do?" I asked absent-mindedly while stirring a chemical cocktail and carefully infusing it with the Force.

"Your orders for orbital interdiction of any enemy military target, with disregard for collateral damage. Our casualties are an order of magnitude less than expected."

"That's the way it should be. Unless you're retaking one of your own worlds, you have no business throwing an army against a planet without a liberal application of orbital firepower."

Unless you wanted your military casualties for the campaign to get in the dozens of millions… if you had such a manpower to waste in the first place.

I almost missed the good old days before both the Old Republic and the Empire started deploying planetary shields during the cold war. Before that, assaulting a planet was much less bloody for the attacking side if they had space superiority.

Ah, it was mostly ready… I beamed at the bubbling and smoking concoction. It had a nasty gray-green color and the less said about the taste the better.

At least it should make sure that I'll be in my right mind soon so I can start dealing with the battle unfolding down below.

"What in the name of all that's unholy is this?!" Admiral Yularen, who had came in while I was distracted, exclaimed.

"Medicine." I deadpanned and took a sip, promptly coughing out most if it. The kriffing thing started hissing and eating through the deck.

The Admiral just stared at me open mouthed.

"It needs a bit more stabilizer." I coughed and started rummaging through the lab station.

"And I thought that the Jedi were bad enough..." Yularen muttered.

"What did they do this time?"

"Besides protesting our conductplanet side?"

"As long as they follow the damn orders and don't get our people killed, they can protest to their heart's content." I said while liberally seasoning my drink with arsenic.

Ah, there was nothing like kludged Sith Alchemy to make of kriff up one's day.

I took another sip. It was terrible, in top five of the nastier things I've tried though nowhere near the top. Then again, those were the hazards I once had to brave as Zash's assistant slash Guinea pig.

"Is this an elaborate suicide attempt or something?" Yularen was back to his usual self.

"It's necessary if I'm to be useful in a few hours instead of inside a week. What do I need to know?"

The Admiral shrugged, probably dismissing my antics as the price of working with space wizards. "It's been eventful since you went for your beauty sleep. Which didn't work, if you're wondering. You do look rather terrible." He gave me a small smile.

"I feel worse."

Another sip. This time I managed to give Yularen a sick smile in attempt to show him I was already getting better.

He gave me a long suffered look and shook his head, muttering something about kriffing maniacs thinking they're generals. A grumble later and he had his business face on. "The situation is fluid. While so far we're ahead of schedule, the locals did spring more than a few nasty surprises, which account for most of our losses..." Yularen started explaining.

With a bit of luck, I would have an understanding of the situation by the time I started recovering.

**=RK=**

* * *

**Interlude: Resident insane scientists, Part I**

**Republic R&amp;D Facility**

**Location Classified**

**Coruscant**

"Sorry, General. Only you can proceed from here on." The Lieutenant in charge of the checkpoint looked apologetic.

That however did nothing to ease the tension. The twelve troopers surrounding Valentra tensed, hands tightening around their weapons.

"Kelso, stand down. We are all friendlies here." The General ordered, hoping that he wasn't making a mistake. He was assured by the intelligence chiefs that this facility was actually secure, with all the personnel carefully vetted. Multiple times, by three separate agencies.

Under different circumstances, even someone as paranoid as Valentra would have thought that to be an overkill.

That was before the attack on the HQ, that left him and Veil practically in charge of the whole damn army. After all, it wasn't really paranoia if yourcommand structure was penetrated and compromised atthe highest levels.

Luckily for Valentra, dealing with that particular can of worms wasn't his headache to deal with, because as things stood, he had his hands full with managing the logistics of a galaxy spanning war. One that was intensifying too, despite all signs tothe contrary. Thanks to the surprising success above Geonosis, the Republic now had two to four weeks to take a breather and hopefully prepare for the next round of intensive combat. Though given the scale of the fighting that would be going on in that period, one would be hard pressed to believe that there was an actual lull in the war. Then again, that was the reality of a conflict of such a scale.

That was the reason he was here, while the facility's guards and his bodyguard were doing their best to increase his headaches.

The door behind the guard detail slid open with a hiss, disrupting the argument in it's infancy.

"What's the meaning of this?! Ah, General! Come on! We have so much to show you and not enough time, unless we can convince you to prolong your visit?" The Duros standing on the other side of the door had a helpful expression on his face. He was wearing a white, skintight lab outfit, which needed only a helmet to be airtight.

"If I can pass through without starting a firefight, I'll consider it."

"A firefight? Here?!" The scientist exclaimed. His huge eyes looked wildly around for all of two seconds before centering on the Lieutenant. "Tigh! How many times should I tell you! No shooting our visitors unless they are here to mess up our experiments! If they are kriffing spies, just call us and we'll use them as ingredients!"

For some unfathomable reason, Valentra got the feeling that the scientist wasn't joking. What madmen did Veil had working on R&amp;D after he started taking an active role in their studies?

"Sorry, sir. However, only the General is cleared."

"Ah that. It was General Veil's idea. No unauthorized personnel past this point. Damn, we aren't supposed to let in even the Chancellor if he somehow appeared on our doorstep… Talk about paranoid individuals… He makes us look downright sane by comparison..." The Duros shook his head, while his eyes got a far away look.

"Ahem, Doctor. My time is precious and you have to show me a lot of things this afternoon."

"Right, right. This way. I can promise you, you'll get the General back in the same shape and form. However, I can't vouch for his sanity. Occupational hazard, you see."

"You know, that's not reassuring. By the way, we weren't introducing."

"Ah, that. I'm Doctor Solumn, Chief Director of this facility. Come on in, follow me. What do you want to see first? The boring presentation, mostly theoretical and lab studies, or shall we start with the fun part? Practical testing is that way and the conference rooms are a few floors above."

"I've had too much excitement today. Let's head up." Valentra spoke hastily. He wasn't too keen to see what the undoubtedly unhinged Duros had cooked up in his lab.

It would be prudent to go over the paperwork first. That way there was less chance for something blowing in his face.

**=RK=**

* * *

"Well, it's boring as I warned you." Solumn sounded rather boringly condescending. Somehow. "At least you passed through the hurdle and now there are only the more interesting projects to go over." Suddenly a disturbing glint appeared in the scientist's huge eyes.

"Those were based primary on Veil's idea, right?" Valentra asked. He had the sneaking suspicion that what he was about to be made aware of, would be something terrible, at least for the Republic's enemies. Just like the doctor prescribed.

"Yes, such a nice man! His ideas have potential! Where to start…"

"Usually the beginning is best."

"Why not? Most other projects we'll be reviewing for the rest of the meeting would be dramatically enhanced if we succeed with the first two ideas that General Veil put forth!"

"I'm all ears."

"First, Project Ascension." Solumn beamed. "I quite like that one. If we can get it working, I'll be using the results on me and the whole staff."

Valentra raised an eyebrow, wondering what horror had been unleashed by Veil.

"Simply put, Ascension is forcing the next step of our evolution!" The Scientist cackled with glee. "It's based on finding a way to safely implement genetic upgrades to ourselves! Making us smarter, tougher. Giving us better reflexes and reaction times! You got the drift, right? Once we make it work, it will be glorious!"

"Basically upgrading our soldiers, putting them on their peak? No turning us into monsters by accident?" The General smiled. Getting one hundred and ten percent from his soldiers sounded great. Besides the clones were genetically altered at least a bit to be better at their jobs. To equal that quality when training the volunteers went into full swing would be great. If it could be done safely.

"At the very minimum! What our research teams envision is bringing us far beyond what the nature meant when while we evolved. Besides, that monster thing was one time!"

Valentra's smile froze at the last sentence. "What do you mean?"

"It was just an accident, it won't happen again I swear!"

"I'll be looking into that." Whatever it was. "How is the project going?"

"We are still in the preliminary stages. Simply tailoring the changes using retroviruses won't be enough for the bigger stuff, though within a year I can guarantee that we at least would be able to put our troopers at the peak of their species' physical abilities."

"That sounds great." And much less dangerous than the other stuff. "I'll be reviewing this project later." Carefully. "What's next?"

"Project Rebirth. It has similar overall goal, though it tackles the problem from a different direction. We based it on an already existing research into better prosthetic for when your soldier got blown to pieces. The overall idea is to reach the point in cybernetics where both the Old Republic and the Sith Empire were during the great war Four Thousand years ago. As you may know, the Republic as a whole has lost a lot of institutional knowledge in that area. While it is possible, even likely that individual members do have capabilities rivaling or even exceeding those of the old powers, well that knowledge isn't available to us."

"Well, putting my boys and girls back together if they run out of luck is always great in my book." Valentra nodded empathically. While there were rather nice prosthetic on the open market, the top of the line that a soldier would need to return to active service were out of the league for an average citizen, though a civilian could easily get his hands on something that can easily get them through their daily lives without a hitch.

For a grunt or even worse, a pilot, the all but the top of the line was rather dubious perspective.

"As I said we started with that. Soon enough we'll have artificial limbs in mass production, that put everything but the custom built stuff to shame. However, that's not what Project Rebirth is. To be frank, the aim of Ascension is similar. We've been doing some studies on what's possible if the Confeds stop messing around and relying on the lowest bidder for their droids. If they went high on quality, your precious Clone troops would be dead meat. The new weapons and armor would make them a bit more than useless, but they simply don't have the toughness, reflexes and reaction times to face proper war droids if the damn things are deployed in numbers."

"At least so far the CIS has been keen on relying on quantity. It has been working too."

"Bah, the B1s are trash, mere rent-a-cop quality mechs..." Solumn spat. "The SB series and the Droidekas are a little better, though only the latter are reasonable threat for a Clone one on one. I am talking about real war droids, the likes of which we both know could be build."

Valentra's expression became grim. He as well as most Republic citizens had heard the stories, though as a general he had the benefit of seeing classified reports. Now and then, a really advanced and damn dangerous droid surfaced. They universally had simply inhuman reaction time and speed, not to mention the amount of firepower needed to overwhelm their well armored chassis. If the CIS ever deemed it necessary to start mass producing such things, the GAR was in for a world of pain.

The General winced. For all he knew, the enemy was already trying to do just that with the experimental droid factories on Geonosis, which were the main reason for the invasion. He was hoping that the ground forces could wreck those facilities before they got operational.

"I am aware of the problem and believe that we've seen the same reports." Valentra nodded.

"Good. So I don't have to explain how grave a threat such a development would be. To counteract it, we're aiming of creating combat cyborgs. On the lower end we would have soldiers with built in weapons within their artificial limbs, sub-dermal armor, bones coated with various alloys to make them as close as unbreakable or outright replacements, either enhancing or replacing muscle..." Solumn continued droning on and on to Valentra's sick fascination.

The worst thing was that he saw the necessity. Even if the situation didn't became as grim as it could, making it unnecessary for the most radical proposed steps – mind uploading into advanced droids or cutting off and placing a person's nervous system into an Android body, the horror, Valentra could see that hundreds of thousands, even millions of wounded soldiers would benefit from this research.

Besides, you never knew when you would desperately need to mass produce super soldiers, which were the real aims of those projects. Oh, he gave both Solumn and Veil credit, they would be obviously heralding the benefits of the research for both civilian and military alike, but that was secondary benefit at best. In reality, it was all about turning the army in one made of super soldiers.

"Any other bombshells you want to drop on me, doc?"

"What? All ordinance is tested in the underground labs about a hundred levels bellow us!"

"Next project, please." Valentra shook his head. Solumn appeared to be honestly confused.

"All right! It's time for more hardware! First, Project Helldiver. I believe you're familiar with it."

"Veil's brainchild for orbital deployment. I went through preliminary reports of its use during the initial assault of Geonosis. It seems to work."

"Well, initially I thought that it was some thrill-seeker's fancy, but after a bit of brainstorming we managed to kludge together as system that works. That's the Helldiver MarkOne. We are naturally researching various ways to improve it and once we have the data from Geonosis and incorporate lessons learned form there, the first variant will start mass production."

"Good. That has many uses for deploying both people and material."

"That was our conclusion as well. Next comes everything under the heading of Project Dragon. I'll need an additional code word authentication to release certain sub projects. Its under Codeword Crimson Tide."

"Winter Sonata." Valentra spoke his own code.

"Confirmed." A synthetic voice sounded from all sides of the conference room. "Scanning… Complete. General Valentra, you have unrestricted access to Project Dragon and it's sub-divisions."

"Who is that?"

"Alison, our own AI. She's very much work in progress so far."

"Ah. There aren't a lot of those running around." Despite what a some people believed, the multitudes of droids running around the galaxy, while rather bright and sentient weren't actually sapient. Not real AI's. Not persons. That said, he knew of at least three AI's operating within the Republic's borders and two of them were considered citizens. "Nice to meet you, Alison. Now, if any of you would be good enough to proceed with this briefing."

"Right. Project Dragon is the umbrella covering our advanced aerospace research. From weapons and armor for your troopers up to and including new capital ship designs. Where to start… Yes, the stuff you should be familiar with. Project Phalanx. It's first phase is now complete with the deployment of the new shielded armors, which are now entering mass production. A companion project, Lancer is to blame for the new guns that come in with the shinny new outfits. "

"Yes, I was briefed on those and read into the field test reports."

"Splendid. Now, Phalanx Phase two. That is very much under development. We were stalled until that mess on Naboo when one of your Commando teams managed to came back with an example of working light power armor, even if they practically wrecked the damn thing. Thanks to that, research in the are is proceeding apace."

"Good. If those enemy operatives were really wearing the light stuff, I don't want to know what the other models can do. I want this project given priority."

Solumn simply nodded. "Next, it's not particularly awe inspiring, but rather important nonetheless. Project Hermes. It's the development of new propulsion methods. So far we're making a good progress on a new ion engine which would do wonders for all small craft once it's ready. The rest if mostly theoretical studies on improving hyperspace travel, but there is nothing on that front as of this moment."

"That's good or would be, if it wasn't for the Guardian. Don't get me wrong, you folks outdid yourselves with that system. It practically changed some aspects of space warfare by itself. However, it won't be long before the CIS unveils their own version and our small craft will be made useless."

"We've been aware of that from before installing it. It's just too bad that it took the war and General Veil's patronage for the Guardian to see the light of day. Now, we've been working on countermeasures. They fall under Project Dragon Wing. It has three phases though the second two are theoretical studies for the foreseeable future. It's the first one that will interest you. Alison if you will." Solumn waved at the ceiling.

"Of course, Director."

A holographic image appeared above the table they were sitting around. "This is a design for a Heavy Fighter. The boys in engineering are assembling a prototype as we speak."

The holographic image was showing something different from what came to mind when one thought about starfighter. Once upon a time it might have been a Delta, similar to what most Jedi preferred to fly. However it was almost two and half times bigger, with the most of the volume taken by heavy armor, oversized engines and a lot of weapons. A. Lot. Of. Weapons. The thing had the firepower rivaling a squadron of Torrents.

"I like it. Is it fast enough to avoid cap ships light guns?"

"That's the idea. Just fast enough not to be hit by that amount of firepower while tanking a reasonable amount of Guardian system's firepower. As you can see, "Solumn pointed at various small gun emplacements, "It has active anti-missile systems too."

"The idea has merit. Can it be applied to our ground vehicles?"

"I had the same thought. After checking some of the old records it turns out that such systems were very common until two thousand years ago when they made missiles and rockets fall out of favor for anti-armor work."

"So they were eventually removed and people started deploying explosive ordinance once again. I wonder how many times such a thing has happened."

"Probably more than either of us would believe. Now we've planned Very Heavy fighter and bomber variants, though those are still on the drawing board. Now that you have access to the program, you can check up on them if you want."

"Perhaps later. What's next?"

"Let's go with the more conventional things first."

That surprised Valentra. He was curious what the resident mad scientist would consider unconventional. That would be "interesting". "Let's go with that."

"All right. So now it's time for ground combat. We've gone over what is to be done to the infantry. Now it's time for the heavier hardware. First is Project Titan, it will aim to replace the AT series of walkers with dedicated tanks. For now we are looking to our friends form Axanar and Caamas for design tips for what General Veil dubs Main Battle Tank. Our hove vehicles are doing rather well in the scout and light tank role, though we can use better heavy ones. The walkers while somewhat decent are a mix between a transport and tank ultimately excelling in neither. So we are looking at something that will be in the range of seventy to hundred tons. It's primary method of transportation will be tracked, though we plan to add repulsors for crossing rough terrain or bridges that aren't rated for such weight.

We envision its planned protection in four layers, failing in active and passive defense active AM system, which is in development, second the shield, third reactive armor to take out projectiles and attempt disrupting energy bolts and finally armor. The latter will be capital ship armor grade. As for primary and secondary weaponry, there is some debate and will be decide in a later stage of the design. We'll be shooting for cruise speed between eighty and ninety kilometers per hour."

"When can we expect to have anything but prototypes? Because what you just outlined sounds much better that either side is currently deploying."

"Six to eight months to finish a prototype and have a few units for field testing. A few more months to clean up any problems that crop up and start mass production."

"Good. While I would naturally prefer a shorter time-table, this is something we can work with. Will there be any new troop transports? The walkers won't be able to keep up with such a speed."

"Indeed. We have two projects for that. Burning Mynok for an APC and Raptor for AFV. Those are still on the drawing board, though the designing phase is rather fast after the latest batch of engineers finished vetting."

"Good. I'll want to see the design parameters later. Anything else?"

"Now for the questionable part. The really fun project I'm leaving last."

"This I got to hear."

"If you have any concerns, turn to General Veil. This is all his idea."

"Dully noted. Proceed."

"Project Crimson Dragon, and yeah for some reason he's fascinated with those reptiles. It calls for the creation of multipurpose vehicles, dubbed Mobile Suit. It is meant to handle aerospace combat as well as ground deployment. It should be rather useful in construction as well. Talk about design creep..." Solumn grunted.

"How the kriff is that supposed to work? Anyway, dedicated platforms for each role would have much better performance."

"At least he's aware about that. The basic idea is that mass production and different sub-variants sharing parts to ease our logistical burdens. In the end this Mobile Suit of his is meant to be merely good enough in it's various roles as well as being deployed in overwhelming numbers. Needless to say, it's not too bad a concept, before you start factoring the engineering challenges. That's at least someone alleviated by the General giving us rough ideas and sketches of a few Mobile Suit variants. My best idea is that it was a Sith Empire black project and Veil was a part of the development. Obviously it was never finished."

"Ah. So you know about Delkatar."

"He mentioned his origins while explaining where he get some of his ideas and that he has seen a few of them put into practice."

"The Cyborgs for one."

"Indeed. He has served with some and what he told me about their capabilities was impressive."

"While it does sound useful, this Mobile Suit concept sounds too much like something that wants to be a super weapon. We don't have the time to chase such space dreams. Put it on the back burner until you have the manpower and resources to study its feasibility without compromising other projects. However, you might look in it's supposed construction capabilities. Anything that might be useful for either our industry or combat engineers is to be looked at."

"I'll do so. Now the last part." Solumn grinned. "The General Spoke about an Imperial prototype of a Positron Canon though he suffered his little accident before seeing it being tested."

"Positron? As in antimatter? I know it could be tremendously powerful as a weapon, but there have allays been problems with proper containment, especially in combat, to make it worthwhile. As a power source, our hyper-matter reactors are almost comparable in efficiency and output, while remaining much, much safer.

"It's a relevant field of research and we have some ideas, though it will be a few years before you could see any practical results. Though it's one of the funniest research fields we have around! Just think of all the math and engineering going in designing a proper way to weaponise antimatter!" Solumn exclaimed in glee.

Valentra chuckled at the scientist's antics.


	69. Chapter 21 Parts 4-6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**Phase 21: Burning sands**

**=RK=**

* * *

**Part 4**

**LAAT Transport **

**En route to Republic Staging area Bravo**

**Geonosis**

"Pilot, we aren't heading towards the staging area. Why?" Shaak Ti asked moments later after the side doors of the craft slid shut and it accelerated, pulling upwards.

"New orders, Ma'am. We are to dock with the _Chimera__. _General Veil's orders. Unless you have a very good reason to countermand them, Ma'am, we are heading that way."

"Carry on then. I'll take it up with the General." The Jedi Master narrowed her eyes. "Your master is starting to overstep his bounds."

The Assassin Droid hanging next to the Chiss woman in the back of the transport snorted.

"He is in overall command of this operation, Jedi." The Machine spoke casually, yet there was a lot of contained menace in its synthetic voice.

"Did you expect something else? With you being the sole exception, we are part of his personal command." Aria smirked. "My Master will want a report on our performance and how the new equipment held up under combat conditions. If he likes what he hears, we'll be back into the fray soon enough." The Chis woman smiled at the prospect of more combat.

The assault yesterday made her feel really alive. However, when the battle was over she had some trouble containing her blood lust, which was a problem. Aria didn't appreciate how the Dark Side was constantly whispering in the back of her head, prodding her to more and more acts of violence. That almost got her killed, would have if it wasn't for that pair of Clones who her Master had ordered to keep an eye of her. They had blasted apart the group of destroyer droids that had her pinned down while a platoon of SBs was preparing to flank her position.

Aria pouted, irritated by the thought that she needed more training on how to handle the Dark Side. That was uniformly uncomfortable experience.

The disapproval that the Jedi radiated every time she was around, didn't help either. It was obviously that the Togruta had a problem with her, yet the older woman kept it to herself. Which was quite irritating. Weren't the kriffing Jedi supposed to keep their feelings in check or outright suppress them?!

The young Sith's eyes darted around the compartment. They were alone in the back, besides the droid and she was rather sure that HK could keep his metal mouth shut.

"Boys, seal the cockpit. We need to have a private chat back here."

"At once, Ma'am."

A panel fell down, closing off the pilots from the rest of the craft.

"What's your problem?" Aria asked, not bothering to keep the irritation from her voice.

The Jedi General stiffened and turned around to fix the other woman with a flat stare. "I have many problems to deal with as you put it. You need to be more specific."

Aria rolled her eyes, which looked rather strange on a Chiss. "Hi! Sith here, I can feel through the Force as well as any Jedi, probably better than most. Try again."

The blue skinned woman almost smiled when she felt a spark of anger from the Togruta, one that was soon turned into smoldering flames.

"Do you really need to ask? Your very existence is the problem!" Shaak Ti glared.

"Is that so, Jedi?! So my Master should have simply left me to die. So much for your valued principles!" Aria growled, barely keeping a lid on her anger. The Force which was laughing at the back of her head was only pissing her off even more.

"What?! Of course not!" The Jedi Master exclaimed, stepping back in shock. "What in the name of the Force made you think that?!"

"Sith here! Led the suicidal assault on the Temple, ensured that a lot of Jedi died, a few of your fellow Councilors want me dead? Rings any bells?" Aria snorted, a bit surprised that the other woman actually didn't want her dead. That or the Jedi was very good at concealing certain emotions while being an open book in regards to others.

"Well, you're right about the Sith part. That's my problem."

"So what about my Master? He's been a Sith for a lot longer than either of us has been alive, yet I don't sense such emotions as far as he's concerned. You know, feeling like I better not exist or something?"

Shaak Ti averted her eyes and mumbled something. It wasn't clear but Aria thought that the other woman flushed into even deeper shade of red.

"Uh, no. Nope. It's not happening. Nada. Nah. No way." Aria started shaking in denial.

"Damn meat- I mean biologicals. What's your major malfunction?!" HK asked, exasperation clear in his voice.

"She likes our Master." Aria giggled. "A kriffing Jedi likes our Master." The Sith started laughing. "At least there's no way he'll be interested in a Jedi..."

"Why?" The Assassin droid asked in honest confusion. "His wife was a Jedi. Togruta too. I don't see an issue."

"WHAT?!" Aria gave the Jedi Master a horrified look. "That's so unnatural!"

Across the compartment, Shaak Ti felt like strangling the other woman after crushing that infernal machine with the Force.

* * *

**=RK=**

**Part 5**

**Briefing room 1**

**Republic Cruiser "Chimera"**

**First Assault Fleet Flagship**

**High Orbit over Geonosis**

"HK what did you do this time?" I asked my assassin droid after glancing at the two Force Adepts who walked in front of him. I didn't need the Force to actually feel the tension between the women. Shaak Ti looked quite disgrunted, while Aria had an amused expression on her face.

"Me, Master?" The Droid asked, putting as much fake innocence as he could in his voice. "It's all their fault." He waved at the females.

I gave him a flat look. That very well might be the case, though I was sure that whatever the issue was, HK did his best to make it worse. He was a dick like that.

"Spill? What's the problem? Make it fast, we have half an hour before the conference start and I'll want a first hand report on the Shock Troopers performance."

Aria started giggling of all things and pointed at Master Ti. "The Jedi don't know what to do with a crush."

"And you do?" The older woman looked at my Apprentice.

"You two can flirt later." I shook my head in a mock disappointment.

"Master! She has..."

I waved a hand, shushing Aria. "I'm a bloody Sith Lord who was married to a Jedi. I noticed. If most Jedi didn't have their heads so far up their backsides, they would have noticed too."

Shaak Ti glared at me. A low, sexy grow escaped her lips, before she took her emotions back under control. I smirked at the woman, before schooling my features into a professional indifference.

"Aria, HK. Give me your thoughts on my Shock Troopers and the Drop Pods." I turned my head towards Shaak Ti. "When you stop feeling like either gutting or having your way with me, I want your opinion too."

It was a very good thing that todays Force Adepts didn't know how to kill with a look or I would be a pile of steaming guts cooling on the deck right now. I had to struggle to keep my expression blank. Pissing off Jedi, even if I liked them, was kriffing fun.

Shaak Ti glared at me for a few seconds, before snapping at Aria and HK. "Leave us for a moment." She ordered.

They looked at me and saw themselves out after I gave them a sharp nod. Once the door sealed behind them Shaak Ti had my full attention.

"What crawled up your robe?" I asked. Being blunt usually works with Togrutas. Or blows up spectacularly in your face.

The Jedi Master pointed an accusing finger at my chest. "You."

"I would have remembered doing so." I quipped, probably digging myself in even bigger trouble.

Ti froze, obviously trying to rein in her emotions, before she did something unbecoming a Jedi. It took me a few moments to decide what to do. There was a part of me, which was having fun needling the Jedi Master, manipulating and angering her.

That was the foundation of one of the more subtle ways to eventually turn someone to the Dark Side, something that I've done in the past and had a lot of fun with it. On the other hand, eventually making Shaak Ti a Dark Jedi or a Sith wasn't on my to do list. I already had my hands full with the war and my current apprentices.

I stared at the Togruta, who had peeked my interest. The look of frustration on her face was similar to what Ashara had when I often confused her after we first met. However, this wasn't my wife.

I sighed, wondering how much of my interest in Shaak Ti was because she reminded me of Ashara and how much was because of the Jedi Master herself. Oh, I was physically attracted to her and wouldn't mind bedding her, that was a given. She was my type of Togruta after all.

All the rest...

"I understand." I spoke softly. "It's confusing, isn't it? Dealing with feeling you were taught to suppress, disregard and never actually experience..." I slowly walked closer to the Jedi. I could acutely feel the chaotic storm of emotions that was gripping her.

So her composure had finally shattered.

It happened much earlier than I expected it to, yet it actually made sense considering that as a Togruta her control was a bit lacking compared to a lot of other species.

Strong predator instincts combined with a galactic scale war and the Coruscanti Jedis "teachings" would do that to you given a bit of pressure applied at the correct spots.

"What do you want? It's your fault!" Ti hissed at me.

She was right of course. I've been influencing her and everyone who has spent any significant amount of time close to me, even when I wasn't consciously trying. After all, being the Dark Lord of the Sith wasn't just a simple title. Far from it.

"What I want?" I leaned forward, almost touching my forehead to hers. My lips twitched in a small smile when I felt her bring up her lightsaber and press it over my heart.

Smart girl. If I was any other Sith, her very soul would be in danger right now. This fleeting moment of vulnerability would be enough to break Shaak Ti, turning her into something she wouldn't dream of in her darkest nightmares.

"I want to set you free. Liberated from Jedi lies or the kriffing bullshit preached by todays so called Sith. I want you free to look at the universe as it is and chose your own destiny. Because only then I can get to know who you really are under the shell you've built around your heart."

"You want to turn me against the Jedi!" She growled and pressed her lightsaber harder to my chest.

"Do I? How you deal with the Order is for you to decide. All I want is that you look at them as they are. To shed the veil of indoctrination you've been fed all your life."

"They were right about you!" She shook as her anger burned brightly, making her almost irresistible. "I never believed how dangerous the other masters made you to be, yet they were right!" Shaak Ti snapped her head back and laughed bitterly. "You're really our true enemy. You didn't need an army to start tearing the order apart. Just reasonably sounding words and Jedi start listening to you, flocking to your side." She stared into my eyes, searching for something.

"You give me too much credit. You've been crippled by your Order's teachings. All I needed to do is show you the truth and your control started fraying around the edges. Add the war you've already been fighting..."I trailed off and smiled.

Her anger was delicious. Her scent made my heart beat faster. "Shaak Ti, you're a person, not a soulless automaton no matter how much your Order wants you to be precisely that. Experiencing feelings is as natural as breathing."

"Oh, you're good… Twisting half-truths so they suit you. I'm a Jedi. I can't allow myself to feel, you're making that crystal clear!"

"On the contrary. You can't afford not to feel."

"So you could seduce me? Turn me to your side?"

I could sense Shaak Ti's finger hovering over the ignition button of her lightsaber, ready to press it.

I smiled gently at the woman that was moments away from vaporizing my heart, wondering how she could see my intentions so clearly, yet get them so wrong in the same time.

Kriffing Jedi Order and kriff their kriffing Code.

"I'm a Jedi Master!" Shaak Ti declared, her anger dimming for a moment. "I won't be turned!"

Damn it woman, do you have any idea how many times I've heard that in similar situations?!

**=RK=**

* * *

**Part 6**

**Briefing room 1**

**Republic Cruiser "Chimera"**

**First Assault Fleet Flagship**

**High Orbit over Geonosis**

"I certainly hope not! Dealing with insane, power-thirsty version of you won't be any fun." I stated truthfully.

That was the reason why I never seriously entertained the idea of turning a big chunk of the Jedi Order and using them as an expendable shock troopers against the rest. Those fresh Dark Jedi would be a major pain in my ass. Besides, as Shaak Ti was proving, I could neuter the Jedi as a credible potential threat by simply continuing to appear sane and competent Republic General, one who incidentally happens to be a Sith Lord.

That I made a lot of them look like incompetent idiots, just tickled me pink when it wasn't vexing me.

While trolling the Jedi was fun, even if I didn't have the time to indulge in that enjoyable sport, Master Ti having her Lightsaber pressed to my heart, a moment away from activating wasn't exactly fun even if I enjoyed very much the emotions I could sense in the woman.

The Jedi Master stared at me for a long moment and snarled.

"Enough games!"

"Why? You're so much fun right now. It's one of the rare time I've really seen a glimpse of the real you." My simile widened a bit.

Being on the razor's edge was exhilarating. I pointedly ignored the weapon, which was pressed more firmly to my chest and carried on.

"How long has it been, Shaak Ti? I know it's hard to figure out your emotions after you've been trampling and suppressing them for your entire life."

"Really? What's next? You'll claim that you only want to help me? To know what's best for me?" The Jedi Master sneered.

"Hell no. That's for you to decide. That's the whole point I've been trying to make to you Shaak Ti."

"Riiight. Turn me against everything I believe in, you mean! Until one bright day, I won't think it wrong to raise my blade against my brothers and sisters in the Order. I'm not a toy to be played with!" Ti hissed.

"That's not gonna happen. You're too strong to let yourself fall that low." I scoffed. "Do you really think that I consider you a plaything?! If I didn't have respect for your power and achievements I wouldn't have bothered to tell you a thing about my past. I wouldn't have paid you any attention beyond the bare minimum I needed to do my kriffing job!" I snapped at the Jedi.

"So I have an ancient Sith Lord stalker. As if that's better!" She glared at me after a moment of thought.

"Oh, trust me, Master Ti, if I was stalking you, you'd notice." I snorted. It wouldn't be any fun if she didn't.

"Bastard!" Shaak Ti hissed.

I frowned. Just below her more pronounced emotion, I could sense a growing fear.

"What are you afraid of? Letting yourself feel won't make you a Sith, nor a Dark Jedi or something." I shook my head in exasperation. "On the other hand, cutting me down as we are right now, that's a sure way for you to fall. If I really had nefarious plans for you my dear, I would be goading you to strike me right now as I'm unarmed. That's one of the basic ways to lure someone to the Dark side, though its quite successful despite that."

"Is that so? From where I stand, I'm a button press away from ridding the galaxy from a Sith Lord." The Jedi Master scoffed, yet there was the tiniest hint of amusement in her voice. "I'm afraid that you're destroying my control! Turning me into something that a Jedi never was meant to be!" Shaak Ti spoke somberly.

"What do you want me to say? That I've been manipulating you from the day we first met? That I've done my best to wear down the bastion you've built around your heart? It's true, Shaak Ti. I want to meet the woman you've been hiding behind the mask of a not so proper Jedi Master."

I slowly raised my right arm and cupped the hand holding her Lightsaber snugly against my heart.

"You admit it?" Shaak Ti recoiled in surprise.

"As if I've ever hidden it. I've been preaching to every Coruscanti Jedi willing to listen that you've been crippling yourselves by denying and constantly suppressing your feelings. You know that." I narrowed my eyes at her. "It's not my actions, but the motives behind them that you doubt. You're afraid what will happen if you allow yourself to feel and I chose that moment to show my 'true nature'." I shook my head in grim amusement.

"Don't pretend to be misunderstood. I did give you the benefit of the doubt! Yet, what did you do? Thanks to your actions the Jedi Order is about to tear itself apart!"

"Is this you speaking or the party line you've been taught? Open your eyes, Shaak Ti! This is precisely what happens when you follow that foolish interpretation of the Jedi Code you've been taught and inevitably end confronting your feelings. You don't know how to deal with them and you're lashing at me because of that."

"There is no Passion, only peace!" The Jedi Master declared, though her voice simply lacked conviction.

There was not a single shred of peace I could feel within her heart.

"Personally I like much more the real Jedi Code. Emotion, yet peace. Passion, yet Serenity and so forth. Using the old Code is much more less likely to turn you into a raging monster on a bad day."

She looked for thoughtful for a few seconds before glaring at me. "Yet that's not your code, is it?"

"I'm a Sith and proud of it, as you very well know." I declared. My voice was ringing with conviction. "I've achieved the ultimate aim of the Sith Code, Shaak Ti. The Force indeed set me free. Free to do what I deem right, instead of what certain unenlightened parties expect me to do as a Sith."

"What you deem right..." She muttered after a few seconds of uneasy silence. "No Sith I know of ever thought that the horrors they wrought were wrong. That's not really helping your case."

"Damn it! I want the same for you! Not to be a Sith or a fallen Jedi! I want you to free yourself from the shackles that the Jedi Code imposes upon your very heart. I want you free to be whoever you chose to become, not because someone wants you to be that person, but because that's what you want. Because that's who you are." I spoke softly, while looking her in the eyes.

All I said was true. It was subtle manipulation too, of course. I wanted her to break the chains binding her to a hollow existence as a Jedi. I wanted to know the woman I've rarely glimpsed when Shaak Ti's emotions ran high.

I conveniently missed to point out that from a certain point of view, such an act would made her a true Sith, no matter what anyone else believed her to be.

The boiling cauldron of emotions that was Shaak Ti was about to explode. I could feel what little control she had weakening. The Force was coiling around us, as if in anticipation that the Jedi would finally stop holding back and open herself to her boundless power.

Shaak Ti's fist, which was gripping her lightsaber, was shaking under my hand.

I leaned through the tiny distance between us and softly kissed her on the lips, without breaking eye contact.

She tasted better than I imagined.

Her eyes widened in surprise and confusion.

What little control she still had on her emotions shattered and the Force responded to her unbound feelings, whipping wildly around us.


	70. Chapter 21 Interlude and Part 7

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 21: Burning sands**

**=RK=**

**Interlude: Shaak Ti**

* * *

**_Confusion. Exasperation. Cursing oneself for being a naive fool._**

**_Anger._**

**_That's how being Shaak Ti felt._**

**_Ever since she started actively participating in the war, she had found it harder and harder to center herself when she meditated. The screams of billions dying were echoing through the Force, feeding the Dark Side. Every day more and more people were joining the choir of the murdered, making it that more difficult to keep oneself free of their emotions while meditating._**

**_In hindsight, Shaak Ti and the other Jedi Masters should have anticipated it happening. She had seen the records of the wars between the Old Republic and the Sith. Of the effect that a prolonged galaxy spanning conflict had on the Jedi Order. _**

**_That simply_****_wasn't enough to prepare her for the reality of the war. The sheer senseless, callous destruction and the unimaginable scale of death that inevitably came with it. _**

**_What she did know was why the Jedi of old were so reluctant to participate in the Republic's wars unless the Sith were involved. _**

**_Simply feeling the war through the Force while she was training Clone Troopers on Kamino, while far away of any active battlefield was more than enough to make ridding herself of her emotions difficult. On the occasions she was near the location of anything but a small scale skirmish, she could easily feel people's deaths echoing through the Force. _**

**_And when she actually engaged in combat, it was that much _****_Worse. _****_The only thing that helped then was the nature of the enemy, which was composed mostly of droids. _**

**_That didn't help as much as she had hoped._**

**_Shaak Ti still felt the death of the Clones under her command, of the ordinary beings engaging on both sides… and the civilians caught in the cauldron of war. _**

**_As often as not, when countless millions were dying in the span of moments by either design or accident, every Jedi could sense it._**

**_Despite all her efforts, the Jedi Master was simply no longer able to completely purge herself of her feelings as she could do before the conflict flared to life. Especially when meditation, which was the exact time for a Jedi to balance himself and set herself free from any emotion._**

**_The war had been slowly warping the Jedi._**

**_Every time a Jedi engaged in combat, every time an order member was anywhere near a massacre, they were influenced by the Dark Side no matter how much they tried to resist it. It frayed the Jedi's control over their emotions._**

**_Then he appeared, and it all got much, much worse._**

**_A Dark Lord of the Sith… who was anything, but what the Jedi were taught to expect. _**

**_Shaak Ti would have laughed if she could. Instead she just glared at the man who was subtly destroying the Jedi Order from within. _**

**_The ancient records had warned the future generations of Jedi how dangerous the Sith could be._**

**_Those warnings were in fact underestimating the true threat a Dark Lord of the Sith could pose. It wasn't his mastery over the Force and techniques_****_that had become_****_half-forgotten legends._****_It wasn't his proficiency with a lightsaber that rivaled or perhaps even surpassed the best swordsmen in the Order. Oh, no. Those things weren't what made him truly dangerous. _**

**_It was his dark allure. The strange charisma that he could summon at times. The reasonable way in which he made millennia of Jedi teachings sound as if they were flawed creations, holding the Order members back. _**

**_When he spoke, the Jedi, especially the younger ones _****_listened. _****_Instead of scoffing at his attempts to twist everything they were, every principle they stood for, a lot of Jedi considered his words… and an increasing number of them found merit in them. _**

**_After the horrors a lot of them had felt, witnessed or even participated in, it made a number of Jedi doubt themselves and their teachings. It made them willing to listen when Veil spoke "innocently" suggesting another way to do things. _**

**_Oh, she felt the allure of his words. At a time when even Jedi Masters found it all but impossible to free themselves of their feelings during meditation, impossible to fully center themselves, Veil was promising that they didn't have to. That they weren't failing as Jedi when allowing themselves to feel. _**

**_That it wasn't wrong._**

**_It was what many of the younger ones and some of their elders wanted, to hear. _**

**_It was the same for Shaak Ti. It was a vindication that a deeply buried part of the Togruta sorely needed. A promise that her predator instincts that always made it hard to be a decent, emotion free Jedi, weren't wrong. Weren't something that she necessary needed to constantly fight. That her instincts wasn't something to fear._**

**_She could see it now. It was so easily to start sliding down a damning path. It felt so right to let herself experience emotions instead of instantly squashing them with a sheer effort of her will. _**

**_It was sublime._**

**_And it almost brought her to damnation._**

**_Even now, when Shaak Ti was finally clearly seeing the trap she fell into, it was all she could to to hold the storm of emotions raging within her and not act on them. She trembled with the effort, pressing her lightsaber to Veil's heart. _**

**_It would be so easily to give in to her righteous anger and end the Sith once and for all. _**

**_Yet he spoke again, his honeyed words halting her hand for the moment. No matter how she loathed it, the bastard was right. Simply cutting him down in anger… she knew the consequences. That would surely lead to the Dark Side._**

**_What was the alternative?! Here he was, at her mercy, an occurrence that was unlikely to happen once that was no longer the case. _**

**_He would never let himself be so vulnerable again. _**

**_Shaak Ti knew that she was trapped. Snared as surely as the rest of the Council. Legally he had done nothing wrong to warrant her striking him down. Doing so could very well turn the Senate, Chancellor and the Republic and her army against the Jedi. It was something that almost happened when Master Windu apparently saw the truth during the attack on the Temple and tried to act on it. _**

**_A wave of desperation slammed in Shaak Ti and almost instantly fed into her anger. What was the alternative? Watch how Veil continues to tear apart the Order from within? Watch him turn scores of Jedi to the Dark Side without them suspecting anything being amiss? Allow him to continue to toy with her? To continue manipulating her?!_**

**_She was shaking, losing her doomed fight to contain the confusing storm of emotions threatening to engulf her whole being. _**

**_Claiming that he wanted her to be free?! She almost laughed at the thought. It sounded great, it truly did. It was a lie of course. Another plot to twist her mind. _**

**_There was only one little problem, a treacherous voice spoke at the back of her head. Why letting herself freely experience emotions for the first time felt so right?! Why did it make her feel complete if it was so wrong?!_**

**_Then Veil leaned even closer and softly kissed her._**

**_That threw Shaak Ti for a loop, the unfamiliar sensation making her bind blank for a moment. _**

**_It was unexpectedly pleasant. It called to the instincts that even now were fighting for control._**

**_Shaak Ti growled, a primal sound containing equal amounts of confusion, dark desire and fury. _**

**_The last vestiges of control she had over her emotions snapped._**

* * *

**=RK=**

**Part 7**

**Briefing room 1 **

**Republic Cruiser "Chimera"**

**First Assault Fleet Flagship**

**High Orbit over Geonosis**

A pulse of raw, wild Force energy threw me back. Only instinctively shielding myself from the power release prevented me from slamming intothe bulkhead behind me, though it was close. My frayed nerves screamed as too much Force ran through my body, but I only grit my teeth and took a step closer to Shaak Ti, who was swaying on her feet. The Jedi Master was in the center of a localized storm of energy which was whipping around her like a small tornado.

At the same time the doors slid open, revealing my Apprentice. Aria had an ignited Lightsaber in hand and a confused expression on her face. HK was a step behind her, his carbine was sweeping the room for threats.

"Leave. Make sure we aren't interrupted." I ordered, while concentrating my attention on Shaak Ti.

From the corner of my eye I saw Aria frown, but she stiffly nodded nevertheless and left with my assassin on her heels. When the door shut and locked behind them I let out a sigh of relief. The last thing I needed was an interruption. This was going out to be a delicate matter to handle.

The emotions I could sense coming from the Jedi Master had risen to a crescendo, a virtual hurricane of unbound and conflicting feelings. My lips twitched upwards in a semblance of a smile as I allowed my senses to brush over the amount of Force that Shaak Ti was unwittingly channeling. The raw power at her disposal now that she was no longer binding her feelings was making her even more alluring.

Now, how to end this mess without having to kill her, because that would be such a kriffing waste…

I concentrated, using the Force to brush the surface of Shaak Ti's mind. She flinched at the ethereal contact. The power around her contracted, forming a rough defensive barrier between Shaak Ti and the surrounding world. It was a pure reflexive response, nothing that could prevent me reaching her if I wanted.

"_Shaak Ti." _I spoke into her mind, taking advantage of the glaring lack of mental shields, which had collapses when she lost all semblance of control over her emotions.

The Jedi flinched and took a step back. Suddenly the cauldron of boiling emotions that was gripping her was being dominated by sheer terror.

"_I have no intention of hurting you." _Unless you tried to stab me with that lightsaber, but lets hope it wouldn't come to that.

"VEIL!" She hissed. "You did this to me!" In an instant the fear was drowned by delicious fury.

"I'm partially to blame, yes. How is it, to feel? To revel in your emotions for the first time since you were a little girl?" I asked aloud.

"This is madness!" Shaak Ti stared at me with wild, scared eyes.

"Well, you're loosing it in a rather spectacular way, though thankfully there isn't any collateral damage to speak of." I quipped.

She was back to being furious with me. Yep. Typical Jedi, no idea what to do with her emotions.

_Fear. Desperation. Anger. Desire. Sheer confusion. Regret. Self loathing. Sense of loss. Attraction… _The way her emotions were shifting like demented podracers was giving me a headache. Undoubtedly it was a hundred time worse for her.

"It's all right. There's nothing wrong with allowing yourself to feel emotions. Doing so don't lead to the Dark Side." I took a step forward, while doing my best to project a sense of calm and security through the Force. "Close your eyes. Concentrate on a single feeling. Let yourself experience it instead of fighting it. Let yourself feel." I muttered softly and took another step forward.

"It's too much!" Shaak Ti whispered with a desperation laden voice. The Force responded, lashing wildly around her and leaving rends in the bulkheads. I staggered as a wave of power slammed into my defenses, but continued to slowly get closer to the confounded Jedi.

"It's not. You're stronger than this. You can face your emotions, revel in them without losing yourself." I whispered.

"I can't! It's wrong!" She shook her head in confusion.

"Is it? Does it feel wrong? Or are you afraid that for the first time everything feels right, even if you don't know how to handle it? I know its confusing."

Another step and I was in a hand's reach from Shaak Ti. Her emotions shifted again and this time she looked lost and vulnerable. I frowned. I hated seeing her like that. I moved even closer and gently placed my hands on her shoulders. Her head snapped up and she looked at me with her huge eyes.

_Confusion. Attraction. Danger. Mistrust/Trust. Desire. Anger. _

Her swirling feelingscontinuedto bombard me as I softly rubbed her shoulders, trying to calm her down.

"Let it go. Stop fighting your emotions." I whispered.

Without thinking I raised my right hand and gently cupped her cheek.

"It's all right."

"Why? What did I ever do to you?" Shaak Ti asked.

"You fascinate me. Your strength, your determination. Especially the glimpses I've seen from the woman who was hidden under all those layers of Jedi indoctrination. I'm not your enemy, Shaak Ti. Especially not now, when you're finally free. Then there is the fact that you're a gorgeous woman too." I smirked in the end, earning myself a soft snort.

"You have a strange way of showing it." The amusement was gone as fast as it appeared. "You broke me." She muttered.

_A profound sense of loss. Shame. Failure._

"On the contrary. You're finally whole. There's nothing to be ashamed of."

_Anger. Confusion. Satisfaction mixed with loathing. _

"I broke the most important tenet of the Code!" Shaak Ti shouted in my face and started shacking. "I'm not worth of being a Jedi Master and it's all because of you!"

"You don't believe that. Not really." I stated. "Listen to your heart. I can sense it in you. You don't believe that letting your emotions run free is wrong."

"What do you know?! Have you gone against everything you've been taught?" Shaak Ti snapped at me.

I smiled. Check mate.

"Yes." I leaned forward until our noses were almost touching. "I've told you a few things about the Empire I served. About my fellow Sith and their mistaken interpretation of our code. Of my intentions once I ascended to the Dark Council though that plan was thrown away by my excursion to the future. An apprentice killing their master. The warped self-destructing internal politics that doomed the Empire even after the Republic and the Jedi were military defeated. As a Sith those were things I should have approved of. You know that I hated that nonsense and I would have changed if if I wasn't sent to the present. Or died trying." I added quietly. "So yes, I know exactly where you stand. The fact that the majority of your Order swears by their precious Jedi Code doesn't make it right or sensible."

Shaak Ti closed her eyes. I didn't need the Force to know that her mind was spinning.

"Freedom is a precious thing, Shaak Ti. Awonderful and terrible thing. Please don't throw it away now that you found it."

"What do you want?" She sighed tiredly. "Why are you doing this to me? I know…" She growled. "I can hear it whispering. I could feel a part of it within me. The Dark Side. Yet… I don't think I've fallen though a lot of Jedi will disagree." She frowned in confusion.

"Fallen? No, far from it. As far as the Dark Side goes, at least now you can meet her on a level playing field. It has always been there even if the most of the time you couldn't hear her clearly."

Shaak Ti's frown deepened. I could see understanding and confusion in her eyes, even a trace of horror.

"You could have turned me just now. Easily."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I'm interested in you, not the twisted fallen Jedi I would have on my hands if I had turned you. Being a True Sith doesn't mean that you fall to the Dark Side, for that would be a failure of which precious few had ever recovered. It means that she is our servant, our greatest, most terrible and dangerous tool."

"Dangerous for your enemies and yourself."

"Finally you understand." I beamed. "The Dark Side is a double edged sword. However when using it in combination with the Light, when we use the Force itself, then it finally sets us free."

"Free." Shaak Ti repeated with a far away look in her eyes.

The storm of emotions that had been gripping her for some time started to slowly abate. I could feel her relax a bit in my arms.

I couldn't help myself. I crossed the tiny distance separating us and kissed her. After a moment of confusion Shaak Ti leaned into my touch and returned the kiss.

_Anger. Pleasure. Confusion. Desire. Contentment. Need. _

I could see her eyes darken with feelings she had never allowed herself to experience before.

Damn, her taste was simply intoxicating.

A sexy grow emanated from her chest as she pried her lips away from mine.

"After all you do want to get under my robes." Shaak Ti glared at me.

"I'm a Sith. I'm selfish like that."

Damn, that woman was making me lose my better judgment.

"I see." She growled in such a way that sent a pleasant shiver up my spine. "I find myself feeling selfish too." Shaak Ti growled and slammed her lips into mine.


	71. Chapter 21 Part 8&Interlude

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**Phase 21: Burning Sands**

**=RK=**

**Part 8**

* * *

**Briefing room 1 **

**Republic Cruiser "Chimera"**

**First Assault Fleet Flagship**

**High Orbit over Geonosis**

"This was a mistake..." Shaak Ti, who was currently using my bare chest as a pillow sighed.

"While I would love to disagree, there will be consequences." I muttered in her ear. I knew better than to hope that our escapade would go unnoticed.

"Master, the conference is supposed to start in five minutes." HK announced from behind the sealed door. "I'll be activating the holo-transmitters in there then." He added gleefully, the cheeky bastards.

"I'm starting to dislike your droid more and more every time he speaks. Who built it anyway?" Ti grumbled and shifted a bit in a rather delicious manner.

"That would be me?"

"Figures. Only a Sith could have built that thing."

"I'm usually proud of him, though he can be a pain in the backside from time to time."

"You don't say. Now what?" Shaak Ti groaned and rolled off me to lay on the table.

"Things got a bit more complicated." I shrugged. At least she had regained some measure of control over her feelings, because the storm that was screaming to at my emphatic sense was subdued, almost down to the level of what a normal person usually felt.

"You don't say. So you got me in the end." Shaak Ti grumbled.

"Did I? You were rather enthusiastic." I snorted and rubbed the bite marks on my left shoulder. The less said about the scratches on my back the better.

"I shouldn't have lost control in such a way."

"Hey, I'm not complaining!"

"Of course not. I just had sex with a Sith." Shaak Ti groaned.

"Four minutes and counting!" HK declared gleefully.

"You know, he'll actually do it. The damn menace actually almost pulled a similar stunt with half the Dark Council waiting for me to contact them."

"Fresher. I need time to think." Shaak Ti groaned and stood up.

I took a moment to appreciate her mostly naked form, before I got myself moving too. If we continued this conversation, I was likely to piss her off one way or another, which wasn't a great idea considering the time and place.

* * *

**=RK=**

"Boss, you're fucked." HK cheerfully informed me.

"Yes, I just was. What's your point?" I asked while doing my best to remove any trace of my extra-circular activities with Shaak Ti from my clothes.

"One, she's a Jedi Master."

"I'm very well aware of the fact."

"Second, you had sex with her just after she had a mental breakdown."

"I noticed that too. Shaak Ti pressing her lightsaber to my heart and being a hairbreadth from activating it isn't something that suddenly slipped my mind."

"That's my point. She came near to terminating you before you were sleeping with her."

"I've been in a similar situation with a lot of Sith, Jedi and soldiers. Not to mention the occasional assassin or Imperial Intelligence agent."

"You didn't care about most of them beyond getting in their pants and whatever manipulation you had going on at the time." HK deadpanned.

"Your point is?"

"Not until Ashara."

I ignored that jab.

"The woman you just fucked isn't your wife."

"I'm well aware of the fact." I growled and glared at the assassin droid. "Make your kriffing point."

"Are you, really? Let's see, Togruta, with more than a passing resemblance to Ashara Vael, nee Zavros… Then there's her personality, which would be quite similar if it wasn't for all the dumb things she's been fed as a Jedi... Need I go on?"

That gave me pause. Well, yeah. Shaak Ti looked somewhat like my wife, which wasn't a surprise. She was my type of Togruta and that's why I did pay her a bit more attention than her status as a Jedi Master and my minder would have warranted. As far as her personality goes… Yep, there were the odd moments when she acted like I would have expected from Ashara, but beside that they were completely different… Right?

I looked myself in the mirror. Yeah, who was I kidding?

"Kriff. Fan-kriffing-tastic."

"That's my point, Master. At least was she any good?"

"Hell yes."

"Good enough to make up for the trouble that your stunt will undoubtedly cause?"

"It will depend on the Order's reaction when they find out."

"Well, then! We might have to kick out Knightfall!" HK cheerfully announced.

"Despite their rather inspired attempts, the Jedi haven't yet destroyed their reputation enough to make such an eventuality go out without a hitch. Besides, I have high hopes for some of them."

"Master, I know you rather well. You've always planned to get rid of the Jedi Order."

"In its current state? That would actually be an act of mercy." I shrugged. "Besides why destroy them when you can make them join you?"

"That's an issue why? As things stand, you aren't the one who would be blamed. Besides, just think about it, no more Jedi giving you a headache!"

"Perhaps I shouldn't have reprogrammed you to despise them so much after Ashara was murdered."

"Nonsense, Master. I liked her, as much as I could like a biological organism. For murdering her, I was going to kill as many Jedi as I could, even before you get your hands on my programming."

"Enough about my personal life and schemes. My Shock Troopers. Report."

"They aren't half bad. For meat bags…"

* * *

**=RK=**

**Briefing room 1 **

**Republic Cruiser "Chimera"**

**First Assault Fleet Flagship**

**High Orbit over Geonosis**

"Veil! Master Ti! What the kriff happened in orbit?" Obi-Wan asked a moment after his image appeared.

"Ah. You felt… that." Shaak ti winced.

"Nothing that is of concern for the task at hand." I interrupted them. Who either of us slept with wasn't their business though at least a few of them would try to do it. "I was made to believe that our overall plan for the ground campaign is working so far."

"That's correct, General." Villem Maxtro's hologram nodded. "While the extensive tunnel networks covering most of our advance routes have been troublesome, we're actually ahead of schedule. The orbital strikes taking out most enemy concentrations before they could engage us sure help."

"That won't last for long. Within two days we'll be reaching our primary targets and then it will get ugly." Colonel Pell added. "We had to improvise while dealing with various shielded strong points already. I'm afraid that we'll have to carry out a frontal assault on our primary objectives or settle for prolonged siege."

"The latter isn't an option. We need to secure our objectives and pull out of here ASAP. Within weeks the CIS will have enough spare space forces to go on the offensive again. This fleet will be needed then at the latest." I stated. I didn't need to elaborate what would happen if the battle for Geonosis wasn't resolved by then. Without orbital superiority, the CIS and the locals would have enough numbers to bleed dry our armies on the ground. The problem was that an inevitable frontal assault would have similar effect. Unfortunately I didn't have neither the assets at hand nor the political clout necessary to resolve the problem in a different matter.

Which meant that we would have to improvise.

I smiled. If he somehow hadn't figured it out by now, it was guaranteed that Sidious soon would _know _about my origin anyway.

"Some of you know about my past, where I came from." I looked at the assembled Republic officers and Jedi. "During the wars I fought in, both the Jedi and Sith used a rather simple, but nonetheless effective strategy. Strike teams led by Force Adepts would be inserted ground side and go after strategic objectives. Both sides captured whole planets that way even when we knew exactly what to look for."

"How do you expect us to pull that off?" Audi-Mundiasked.

"We'll be using all available stealth capable armor. Another two thousands units will be shipped here in about two days time. We go in and blow up the shield generators. That way we'll have unrestricted orbital and air support. In fact, most of the industrial areas will be taken out that way. However, that won't be practical as far as the experimental factories are concerned."

"Why not? Burning them from orbit sounds good to me!" One of the Clone commanders quipped.

"We need the schematics for the new droids those places will be building. The Intelligence types believe them to be something special and it could be vital if we can examine them in detail, preferably before facing them in combat."

"That's a good point." Shaak Ti frowned at me. She's been unusually cold after returning from her own trip to the fresher and had been refusing to meet my eyes.

She was also rather pissed off at the situation at hand, something that I had the sneaking suspicion that the Togruta would blame on me. For good reasons too, but that was beside the point.

"What units would be available for this assault? Master Mundi asked.

"All Commando units in system and we'll be drawing primary from our recon platoons."

"Makes sense. They have extensive training in infiltration tactics." Another Clone officer nodded."

"We'll have to plan both the covert assaults and how to best exploit them." Obi-Wan stated.

"Contingencies for those which fail." I added. I had no illusion that all of the insertions would be successful.

"That too."

* * *

**=RK=**

**Interlude: Dreams I**

**Sith Academy**  
**Korriban**

It was vexing. My master was "officially" dead, playing some kriffing mind games along withthe rest of the Dark Council. That's why I was back on this dust-ball, in need to fight for the recognition of my new prospective master, a Sith Lord named Zash.

Quite the character that one, if all the rumors I've heard during the years were even half true.

"Slave, you're late!" The academy overseer that was supposed to receive Zash's potential apprentices glared at me, making me twitch in annoyance.

Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention. As far as most people in the Empire knew, I had perished with Baras so I was supposedly a newly minded poor bastard who was thrown to the Tuw'kata to be torn apart. Whoever was in charge of my back-story was apparently quite lazy, the bastard, because he had mine ripped off with just a few cosmetic changes. So I was posing as what I used to be – a former slave who had manifested his Force talents in a rather bloody and gruesome way by tearing his owner to shreds.

I grinned at that memory. It was crude, but rather enjoyable piece of work.

"I hope you don't think you're special." Harkun, the irritating overseer glowered at me. "It will be shame if your freedom went to your head..." He trailed of when I simply patted my lightsaber and smiled at him.

Long story short, I was on my way to the tomb of an ancient Sith Lord, Ajunka Paul or something. Some kind of a "prophet" had commandeered the place and Zash wanted one of us poor bastards to gain his approval and advice.

Finding the tomb itself wasn't particularly hard. I just had to ask one of the patrols cleaning up the annual infestation of local wildlife about an insane old man living in one of the nearby caves. The soldiers, not being idiots knew the location as a place to avoid at all costs. After all, no one in his right mind was keen on crossing a Sith who was apparently crazier than normal.

That was hazardous for ones health.

So the "prophet". It turned out that he was an ancient looking wiry human, calling himself Spindall. He had half a dozen apprentices he had gathered from somewhere and they all were inhabiting a part of the tomb that might pass for barely habitable if you squinted very, very hard.

"The slave?" He muttered when I approached him. Spindall turned around and frowned at me. "Here for your trial..." He trailed off, while studying me. "You aren't here to learn the path of the Sith from this doddering old man. You're rather well familiar with them, aren't you?"

At least he was perceptive.

"I'm actually here for a breath of fresh air." I quipped.

"Don't play the fool, it demeans us both. Even I'm not here for the sheer pleasure of it. You want my mark of approval for your master."

"Oh that? I can tear it from your cold, dead body. No, I want something else, Lord Spindall." I smirked.

The old man froze for a moment. He never said his name and there were precious few people currently on Korriban who knew his actual identity.

"Ah. I see. So he sent you, didn't he?"

"Yes, your former apprentice isn't particularly happy that you somehow still live."

"I was his master. The bond is still here so I know that Baras lives."

A mere extension of my will and my lightsaber eagerly jumped into my waiting hand. At the same time I sent a powerful wall of Force at the old man, which almost caught him off guard. However, Spindall haven't survived this long by being anything but a dangerous murderous bastard like the rest of us. He raised a hand just in time to deflect my attack which shattered to a bunch of ancient pottery.

"Not for long." I smiled for the first time after receiving my latest mission.

I raised my left hand and clutched my fingers into a fist a moment before I vaulted forward. Spindall chocked for an instant as his internal organs were constrained, yet he managed to dispel my second attack and raise his own blade just in time to parry a downward slash. Still, he was pushed back by the sheer power of my strike.

My smile grew. While his mastery of the Force surpassed mine, I was younger, at my prime, whilehis body was betraying him. That's why I let go of my attempt to directly attack him with my powers and instead used them to further augment my physical advantages. My saber became a crimson blur raining upon the defenses of the old man. It took me mere seconds to batter down his guard, not enough time for his apprentices to process the fact that I had the sheer gall to attack their master, much less to interfere, though they were finally reacting. I could feel their sheer outrage and fury at my actions and their approach.

My next strike nearly tore the lightsaber from Spindall's hands, leaving him open for my next attack. I was about to deliver a killing blow when he sent a jolt of lighting at me, staggering me for a split second. Just long enough for him to take a step back and put back his weapon in a defensive position… and his closest apprentices were almost upon me.

I drew the Force around me like a cloak and then released it in an explosive demonstration of sheer power. The apprentices flew back like twigs caught by a hurricane and even Spindall was forced back.

My smile widened when I heard a pair of blaster pistols discharge and the signatures of two apprentices vanished. My distraction had allowed Vette to sneak up to the young idiots and shoot two of them in the back. The relic I had gifted her that hid her from the Force sure helped too.

A cry of distress, a wave of heat followed by deafening explosion.

My back was secure and I could concentrate on my quarry.

It was just in time to be blasted back by a wave of purple lighting. While I intercepted most of the attack with my blade, tendrils of living darkness clawed at my hands making me wince in pain. I released a pulse of pure Force, which broke the enemy assault and jumped at the bastard.

I slammed into Spindall with a jolt that shook me.

Suddenly I was back in my quarters on the _Chimera. _I bolted upright acting on instinct and had my right hand wrapped over the throat of whoever awoke me. My free arm glowed in the dark with the lighting dancing over my fingers.

Only sensing the familiar presence of Shaak Ti stopped my hand from slamming into her chest and sending enough electricity into her to stop her heart.

"What the kriff woman?!" I exclaimed and released her.

She stared at me with huge eyes. I could sense the fear creeping within Shaak Ti's heart when she started comprehending how close she got to dying.


	72. Chapter 21 Part 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**Phase 21: Burning sands**

**=RK=**

**Part 9**

* * *

**General Veil's quarters**

**Republic Cruiser "Chimera"**

**First Assault Fleet Flagship**

**High Orbit over Geonosis**

I slowly unclenched my fingers and removed my hand from Shaak Ti's throat. At the same time I left the lighting dancing over my free hand harmlessly dissipate.

"Did no one ever mention to you that waking up veterans while they're dreaming might be hazardous?" I frowned at the Jedi Master. "Especially if you don't do it from distance?" I groaned and fell back into my bed.

"Obviously." Shaak Ti deadpanned and glared at me as if it was entirely my fault.

"Unless you came here because you suddenly find me irresistible," I smirked, "Which given what just happened even if true won't get me laid tonight, what exactly do you want?"

"Only in your dreams, Veil. I came to talk." Ti glared at me.

"You gave me a lot of pleasant things to dream about, so it's all right. What do you want to talk about?" I winked at her.

"If you're trying to be fun, it's not working."

"I'm still half asleep." Not to mention that I was still recovering from the Battle Meditation so I actually needed my nap time. "My being nice button is currently stuck away from the being nice position. Hint: Next time you want to awake a this grumpy Sith at least bring a cup of Caff."

"You're impossible."

"I've been told so before." It was by another Togruta Jedi too.

Shaak Ti growled at me again and this time there was nothing sexy in the sound. It was all frustration and exasperation. "It's all those feelings! I can't make them stop and it gets worse..." She trailed off, sounding almost scared.

According to my emphatic sense, she actually was, once her anger at me petered out.

"I'm listening." I sat into my bed, looked her in the eyes and frowned. For some reason I didn't like the look of fear I saw there even if should have made the darker parts of my mind enjoy it thanks to the Dark Side.

"I… I could hear it… Whispering at the back of my head… What did you do to me?!"

"Ah. That's certainly unexpected." I frowned and studied her face more carefully. She looked quite tired. On edge.

"You know what's happening?" There was a hint of hope in her voice.

"Yeah. I'm just surprised that it hit you so soon and apparently rather hard." I nodded. That fact had a few quite interesting application for the delectable Jedi Master.

"What do you actually know about the Dark Side? Know for a fact I mean and not just what you've been fed at the Temple?" I asked, while doing my best to shield my amusement away. I was almost a hundred percent sure that I would find the Jedi's interpretation hilarious but laughing my ass off at them right now would be counter-productive in a lot of ways.

"Its the Dark Side!" She exclaimed, looking at me as if the answer was obvious.

"Humor me, please." I spoke calmly and stared at her.

Shaak Ti huffed but continued speaking. "The Dark Side corrupts everything it touches. While it gives a shortcut to power, that is at the price at ones sanity and principles even if sometimes the consequences take a bit of time to manifest. It twists you, turns you against everyone and everything you hold dear." She gave me a pointed look. "It's powers are no match for a fully trained Jedi who has the Light Side as her ally. Further, thanks to a Jedi's training and ability to keep their emotions at bay, we have advantage when facing a Dark Side wielder. We don't make mistakes in the heat of passion that could be exploited to bring us down."

"That's it?"

"That's the short version. We would be here for at least a week if I'm to give you the long one."

"Well, there are at least a few grains of truth in that explanation..." I trailed off. That actually wasn't particularly surprising. However, if this was what even a Jedi Master could tell me on the top of their head… Any half-competent Sith from my time would have had a great time of twisting today's Jedi until he had turned most of them. Relatively easy too. You couldn't really protect against the Dark Side if you weren't reasonably familiar with it.

In a hindsight, Today's Jedi were actually lucky that Sidious planned to exterminate them wholesale instead of going the more traditional way and doing his best to build an army of fallen Jedi. The latter would have been even more successful than his original plans if handled correctly.

"Where to start… You have to understand the nature of the Dark Side in order to handle it with any reasonable expectation of not eventually falling."

That got her undivided attention.

"Considering that I very much prefer you sane, I'll have to teach it about it and you will listen." My voice brook no argument.

Shaak Ti's anger flared, but she was able to put it back under a reasonable amount of control. For the moment at least.

"Calling the Dark Side evil, is a misconception, though anyone with intact mental faculties could see where that comes from. The truth about it is simple. It doesn't care for the morality of most Sapient beings in the galaxy. Do you consider a hurricane to be evil? An earthquake? A storm? The Force is a part of nature, by definition neither part is good or evil. However they emphasize different aspects of nature, different mindsets."

"How so? You don't see Jedi going around, torturing and killing people."

"Again with a morality that doesn't really apply in this case. It is true that the Light Side excels in healing, protection, conflict resolution. On a larger perspective, its wielders are usually better for maintaining a community and working for the betterment of the group as a whole. It emphasizes the betterment of the whole over that of the individual. It excels during peacetime and in maintaining that peace. As you said, mastery over it comes after a long time of training, though that period would be quite shorter if you people weren't too busy trying to cut yourselves from emotion." At least while the Jedi as a whole kept their heads out of their backsides. When they generally forgot how to do that, we eventually got things as today's Coruscanti Order.

"I didn't think that it was possible for a Sith to praise the Light Side." Shaak Ti was looking at me strangely, as if trying to make sense of me.

"Only an arrogant fool dismisses a fundamental aspect of the Force and it's true that many Sith weren't particularly bright once their new found power got to their heads." I shrugged. "Let's continue. The Dark Side. It requires quite different mentality to understand and accept. It's selfish. It promotes the well being of the individual and that of a small group over any larger body. By its nature, that's not a any worse than what the Light Side. It gives one power much faster than the average Jedi could achieve. Going by raw strength in the force, someone who aligns themselves with the Dark Side could gain in weeks, usually months what a Jedi takes years in training to achieve. You're correct that sometimes that training does give a Jedi the upper hand, though that goes only when dealing with Dark Siders who are new to the Force and haven't received the benefit of competent training themselves. As you can guess, there's a catch."

"You all go insane eventually?" Shaak Ti gave me a deadpan look.

I smirked. She didn't believe that I was particularly saneish and she did have a point, though I really couldn't lay most of my issues at the feet of the Dark Side, though I cheerfully blamed the Sith who trained me, the kriffing bastards.

That was a subtle but important distinction.

"Why is that the case?" I asked her, while giving her an amused smile.

"Just telling you that's because of the Dark Side won't fly, would it?"

"No. As I said before, the Dark Side is selfish, a quality that gets reinforced in anyone who brushes with it often. It's a subtle thing at first. Usually. As I said, she's individualistic. She wants her wielders to be powerful, independent. To break all their chains and be free to make their own choices. In that regard, the Sith Code is more accurate than any version of the Jedi one I've seen so far. The problem lies in how that's expressed and the way most people interpret it. It usually gets quite messy."

"You don't say." Shaak Ti gave me a flat look. "I can almost hear it whispering in the back of my head. I could feel people dying on the planet below us, their pain, fear and despair! It feels pleasant!" Shaak Ti shouted at me and started passing around my room. "How can you call it anything but evil?!"

"Did you ever stop for a moment and wonder why it feels that way?" I asked.

"I was too busy trying to keep myself from enjoying peoples suffering!"

"I take it as a no. As I pointed out, the Dark Side is selfish. It wants its wielders to survive, grow more powerful. She feeds of emotions of feelings. Is it so surprising that she makes people feel good at overwhelming and crushing their enemies? At reveling at other's fear? Because let me tell you, you're much more likely to survive when facing terrified foes than a group who keeps their cool. At the same vein… When someone with access to her is afraid, that very emotion, gives them power. Anger? It clouds a person's judgment unless handled properly, aye. It also makes you more likely to strike at any perceived danger, fuels your strength. In a lot of cases it makes you more likely to survive. There are no doubts while you're furious. No what ifs. No hesitation that might get you killed."

"What about the cruelty that most Sith are known for?"

"Oh we enjoy it, very much and you can't even blame the Dark Side for every single instance. Look beyond just the acts. What are the consequences? It makes us feared. Less likely for someone to oppose or stand in our way if they have an acceptable alternative. Makes them apprehensive if they fight us anyway. Until you reach a certain level, the path of the Dark Side is full of trade offs. For everything I pointed out, there are cons, aren't there Shaak Ti?"

"More than I think about right now."

"Less from where I stand, though they're undeniably there. You have to accept your feelings, learn to channel your passions."

"Will it ever stop?"

"That seductive whispering at the back of your mind?" I shook my head. "It's always there. Whispering, promising. If you let you rule you, the Dark Side will grant you more power than you've ever felt. At the same time, it will twist you. When let to go to its logical concussion, submitting to the Dark Side will make you see yourself as the only person that matters in the universe. For you everyone, everything else will become playthings at best, all the while you'll enjoy their pain and suffering."

"And you have the gall not to call the Dark Side evil?"

"It's not. She's a force of nature, caring not for what the beings in the galaxy consider moral. It simply wants its wielders to be as powerful as possible and to give them the best chance for survival. To do so, she drives them to on the path of individual strength and ability. It makes it so that you won't ever regret crushing a possible threat, that you would love doing it. That's why I always say that the Dark Side isn't an ally. It's a tool, one that's very powerful and dangerous."

"Why would anyone want to embrace the Dark Side?"

"Why not as long as you don't let it rule you? Shaak Ti, it's a brutal galaxy out there and I'm not talking about the war. It's easy to be saints when you live in the Temple, with all your basic needs taken care of. It's quite different when you've had to scrap for your next meal, to fight for your survival on a daily basis. That's true even for Coruscant, the one of the Jewels of the galaxy. What was the last time you've been in one of the lower sections? The Dark Side is something that many, many people in the galaxy would eagerly embrace because it will grant the the power to survive. To no longer be weak, to cease being victims."

"I've never thought about it like that… But why don't they join the Order?!"

"With the exception of Skywalker, what was the last time you trained someone who wasn't a toddler? What about the hardened Force Sensitives you've missed? The ones who had lived through hell and had a rather different worldview that what the Order would find acceptable? You'd never train them as Jedi. Too old. Too dangerous. They are a ripe material for making Sith."

"That's madness! How could you defend the Dark Side after all you just said? You've fought in the Great War! You know firsthand of all the atrocities the Sith committed!"

"Why it always has to be Light and Dark? Black and white? What about shades of gray?! If there's one thing that I've learned about the galaxy its that things are seldom as either the Jedi or typical Sith portray them!" I sighed in exasperation. "Light Side, Dark Side… Those are the two sides of the same coin. Left alone they lead to either stagnation or self-destruction. Unless used in measure the ultimate end is the same in the long term." I laughed. "Do you know that I had the same conversation with my wife shortly after I persuaded her to come to my side?"

"Your wife. A Jedi." Shaak Ti looked at me. "I saw her when you showed me those memories. I still find it hard to believe that a Jedi married you."

"She saw the truth of the matter." I shrugged. "Ashara…" I smiled. "She never turned no matter how persuasive I was a the times. She kept me sane. She understood." I spoke wishfully.

Damn, I missed her.

"You or your view of the Force?"

"Both. We used the two sides of the Force and we were stronger for it. She proved to everyone that you could use the Dark Side and not be twisted by her." That terrified a lot of Jedi. Made them question their beliefs, which in turn made them easier to turn to our side. It was one of the reasons why we were left mostly alone by the Sith who were nominally my superiors. The fact that I was a Lord of The Sith in my own right at the time, with my ascension to the Dark Council as a very real possibility sure helped in that regard.

"It sounds so easily."

"It's not. But its worth it in the end. Shaak Ti, this war… it's going to get much worse before in ends. If we can hold on for the next few months, we'll be equally matched with the Confeds for at least an year or two, before we could conceivably start turning the tide. By using the Dark Side as you tool, by embracing your emotions, you're that much more likely to survive what's to come. I… I don't want to see you hurt or worse."

She sat on the bed next to me, looking lost.

"I'm not her, you know."

"I'm well aware. Actually HK made that same point yesterday."

"Huh. I would never have thought that he'll do something like that."

"How do I deal with all this?"

"One step at the time." I slid closer to Shaak Ti and gave her a gentle hug. "Dealing with your emotions… It's not something that can be learned overnight. Nor is managing the Dark Side."

"What about your apprentice? I could feel it in her. She revels in it."

"She's very much a work in progress. While dangerous, the Dark Side is her best bet to survive for now. The deal I made for Aria. She either pulls her weight or gets thrown to your Council for a trial. What do you think they would do when she refuses to renounce being a Sith to become one of your kind?"

"She did lead the attack on the Temple… But I can see where you go with it. She's a clone. Aria never had a choice in the matter, did she?"

"On the contrary. She had the same choice I was given when I was carted to the Academy on Korriban."

"And what's that?"

"A rather prolonged and nasty death or becoming a monster. I chose to live, no matter how many people had to die for it. While I do have a lot of regrets, that's not one of it."

"That's not what a Jedi would have done."

"No. I would have been a terrible Jedi anyway."

"I… I could almost understand." Shaak ti muttered quietly. "The very thought of putting my own survival before that of people I could have saved… It would never have crossed my mind before. While I'm sure that I would make the same choice now, I would protect people with my life without regret… I can see it. That someone could value their life above the well being or even survival of strangers. It's not something I think I'll ever do, but… For some reason I no longer see making such a choice as being despicable." She shrugged.

"Follow your conscience. The rest, no matter if its the Jedi Code, the Sith teachings or anything else… its secondary at best."

"That simple?"

"It worked for Ashara and she was the only other Togruta female that I knew to be in your shoes."

"She sounds like someone I would have liked."

"You would have." I muttered.

For the next few minutes we just stood there, deep in our own thoughts. Holding Shaak Ti made me feel content, calmer than I've been in some time. I smiled, enjoying her warmth, feeling the slow beat of her heart.

"What happens now?" She asked quietly.

"We talk. We get to know each other and see where it goes from there."

"You're a strange Sith, Delkatar. Are you sure that this isn't just an elaborate plot to get under my robes again?"

"While I would rather like that, just as you obviously did, I won force you into something you might not be ready for. You'd hate me for it in the long term."

"When I have a handle on my emotions you mean."

"Yep."

"I could still feel them dying. I could almost hear their screams of pain and fear. It's worse than almost anything I've sensed before."

"Now that you're no longer suppressing your emotions as a matter of fact, your connection to the Force is stronger, sharper. What you feel is a natural consequence of that."

"Tomorrow afternoon we're supposed to deploy for the final push. I don't know how I'll handle it first hand."

I pulled he closer to me and kissed her temple. "It will be hard. My advice is to channel your feelings. The anger you feel at the all the deaths brought by the Confederacy, the fear you feel from the people on Geonosis, everything. Use it with a purpose in mind. So you could bring a faster end of the fighting. In the end, that's what really matter. By winning this war in the fastest, most efficient way, we'll do the most good. That way less people will day, there will be smaller amount of wounded and crippled. Less lives will be destroyed."

"It's never that simple."

"No. People make mistakes. The other side gets a vote, that's why we call them the enemy. The war warps everything it touches. Think about it, people can't comprehend the scale at which we fight even in this day and age. Billions in the double digits. Thats how many people had died already and the war hadn't really hit its stride yet. Once our economy is fully on war footing and we start building up our armies and fleets, it will get much, much worse."

"Sometimes I wonder why we fight."

"Because each of us believe in something worth protecting or achieving. Because not doing so would be worse in the long term."

Because no matter how bad this war goes, I have the feeling that what's to come would be orders of magnitude worse.

"Why do you fight, Delkatar? It's not the Republic, that much I know."

"I have my reasons. I fight for the future."

"That's not an answer."

"You're simply lacking the context. One day you would know."

Shaak Ti's heartbeat and breathing slowed down as she fell asleep in my hands. I gently pulled her next to me in the bed and used the Force to throw the cover over us.

I smiled, feeling content to simply hold the sleeping woman, content to forger the war for a bit or the fact that tomorrow all hell was going to break lose on Geonosis.


	73. Chapter 21 Parts 10&11

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**Phase 21: Burning Sands**

**=RK=**

**Part 10**

**Ar'Klorg'Onya Cave Complex**

**Fifteen Kilometers from CIS Experimental Droid Factories**

**Geonosis**

Fol'Clixit, the Field Commander in charge of the local Geonosian garrison, was surveying rows of hastily built defenses. The caverns he was tasked to protect were supposed to be a heavily defended death ground, which would bleed any Republic force dumb enough to attack through them.

That was the original plan anyway.

There was a reason why lately Fol'Clixit had been a particularly angry Geonoisan.

First, he Republic interlopers weren't supposed to attack Geonosis for at least week and a half. At least that's what all intelligence types both Geonosian and Confederate were swearing left and right… until the enemy attacked that is. Nor were they expected to swiftly demolish the major fleet elements in system and to dismantle the orbital defense network in less than a day…

The Republic fleet did that too and not only that but the enemy somehow managed to infiltrate the Planetary Shield generator complex and shut down the defensive screen protecting Fol'Clixit's homeworld.

That was simply adding insult to injury.

Just to make him hate them even more, then the Republic Ground forces started advancing at previously thought impossible rate… though that was mainly due to the way their fleet gleefully blew up anything that even remotely looked like an obstacle.

That left Fol'Clixit in a bind.

The speed with which the Republic forces advanced after landing, made an otherwise grave situation almost catastrophic. The Ar'Klorg'Onya caverns were vital for his people. Just beneath them was a major transportation hub, one that had remained unscratched during the Republic's previous visit. It was literally one of Geonosis' lifelines and had to be protected at all costs. It should have been brimming with fixed defenses, making any assault on it a suicide.

It was too bad that after the previous invasion, the Geonosians were unable to rebuild and reinforce everything they needed for this repeat performance.

The Field Commander's mandibles clicked in annoyance. There were supposed to be two engineering battalions making this place a fortress. However by the time the enemy was in orbit and bombard anything important that wasn't under a Theater Shield, only a single engineer company had started working on fortifications. The rest of the two promised battalions never materialized.

At least the members of the Worker's Caste who were present had outdone themselves, though that was a cold comfort for the Elite.

The enemy vanguard was two hours ago and everything outside the cave networks and the shields protecting them had been liberally bombarded by Ion Canons transforming all weapon emplacements out there into useless lumps of metal and fused circuitry.

On the bright side, the very reason why this place was an important target for the Republic, was its greatest advantage. Unless the whole region was burned to the mantle, the Commander should be able to easily receive reinforcements. He was planning to turn the place into a death trap by using as many soldiers as he could do instead of relying on the defensive positions that didn't get build.

The only problem was that doing so would kill an awful amount of his own people, because most other CIS forces in the area were concentrating around the new Droid factories twenty kilometers to the north, which were the most important thing on the planet as far as either the Confederacy or the enemy were concerned.

Naturally, that wasn't the case for Fol'Clixit. He would be happy if he was able to keep the transport hub mostly intact even if the Republic achieved their objective and demolished the factories.

After all, the future of Geonosis was more important than what his allies wanted and the loss of the hub would spell economic ruing for this whole hemisphere.

**=RK=**

Fol'Clixit returned to his forward command post minutes before the first Republic troopers were about to engage the forward defenses. The place was a cludge, a former storage room now filled with computer terminals, which were connected with the various Geonosian military commands in the AO as well as all the sensors, mines and automated weapon emplacements the engineers managed to built in the little time they had to work.

The place was guarded by six Elites like Fol'Clixit and a platoon of regulars. A half dozen of the latter were busy manning the stations in the command center, ready to feed him any relevant information he might need.

Multiple tank columns and mech infantry were advancing towards the outer perimeter, only sporadically harassed by artillery under shield cover. Unfortunately, only a handful of such emplacements were in range while everything not protected in similar manner had received some lethal attention from the orbiting fleet.

He watched for a minute how the enemy approached, until the leading tanks were on the edge of various direct fire weapons built in the mountain side under which the cave complex was situated.

To Fol'Clixit's utter lack of surprise, the leading tanks and APCs started unloading smoke rounds which soon obscured the view. No ordinary smoke either. It shut down all vision modes while powerful enemy jammers took care of the sensor not relying on direct observation.

That left the guns to fire mostly blind.

With every passing moment, Fol'Clixit loathing for the enemy was growing. Did they had to suddenly act more competent than usual just when they were attacking his position?!

"Shield perimeter breached. Enemy infantry is engaging our forward positions." One of the normal warriors reported. "They're liberally using explosives and missiles to engage our fixed defenses."

No surprise there either. He hadn't really planned to stop them outside the shield. There were simply too many ways a competent opponent could use to reach the force field relatively intact, especially if the defenders haven't been able to extensively fortify their position.

Especially when said opponent obviously didn't care about collateral damage.

The universe chose that moment to prove to Fol'Clixit that it really hated his guts.

There was no warning. One moment everything was as expected and in the next the far wall exploded inward, showering the Command center with fiery pieces of burning metal and scorching stone. Fol'Clixit was thrown off his feet and slammed into the wall next to the door. Before the Commander's mind could register what was happening, the survivors of the explosion were hosed with automatic blaster fire.

Only Fol'Clixit and one of his Elite guards were tough enough to survive the initial onslaught. While the Commander was busy staggering back on his feet, the rest of the Command post's guard detail stormed through the door only to be engaged by the attackers as they filed in.

Six of his warriors were cut down before they could engage the enemy, but then an Elite plowed through the door, absorbing blaster shots on his heavy armor.

The soldiers' deaths weren't in vain. They bought Fol'Clixit enough time to get up and for the med system built in his heavy armor to fill him with stimulants, strong enough to raise the dead. The Commander roared in defiance while the weaponry built around his arms unfolded. His HUD sprang to life and tracked the attackers.

Republic scum. They were like ghosts in the smoke and twilight reigning within the CP. Some almost faded from view, but their outlines could still be seen withing all the crap in the air.

It was good enough. The heavy blaster around Fol'Clixit's right hand spoke and tore apart the nearest Clone. The Commander roared in fury and charged the enemy. The surviving Elites followed his lead and sprang towards the nearest humans, followed by their lesser brethren.

What followed was a vicious, bloody affair.

A Clone was eviscerated by a vibro blade before the upper part of his torso was blown to pieces by a light sonic canon. Another was trampled under the cybernetically enhanced bulk of an Elite after futilely emptying the magazine of his rifle into the heavy chest plate of the Geonosian.

One of the Republic troopers activated his flamethrower, turning two of the smaller locals into living torches, whose tortured screams echoed through out the cave system. He didn't have time to appreciate his work because Fol'Clixit was upon him in an instant, gutting him with the blade mounted under his light hand.

The concentrated firepower of a Republic squad brought down an Elite, after itsmembers had the presence of mind to take out his legs first. Their victory was short lived, because it gave enough time for twice their number of Geonosians to swarm them. The Clones died under the blades and sonic weapons of the locals, but not before the last of the Republic troopers detonating a pair of frag grenades as he was gunned down.

Fol'Clixit shot another enemy before he charged the last one still standing and slamming the man through the remains of the breached wall. He finished the Clone by slamming his armored foot through the man's helmet, shattering it like an egg.

"The Republic has kriffing invisible infiltrators now?!" Fol'Clixit growled once the adrenaline and stimulants racing through his veins started tapering off. "Kriff all Intelligence fools!" The Commander seethed. "I need a status report! What else did they attack? How far has the enemy penetrated our defensive lines?"

**=RK=**

**Part 11**

**Objective Alpha 3 (Ar'Klorg'Onya Cave Complex)**

**Fifteen Kilometers from Objective Alpha 1**

**Geonosis**

**"Grax, suppressive fire!" Sergeant Hound ordered after ducking behind a half demolished stone pillar. He was glad that the heavy gunner heard him, because between heavy jamming and the deafening roar of the firefight, communicating was proving rather difficult.**

**Then it became impossible as Grax slid on the ground next to the sergeant, braced his heavy repeater on his shoulder and opened fire, hosing the far end of the cavern with blaster bolts. Hound sent a few pot shots down range, while he dashed through a small open space and ducked next to one of his squad leaders – Corporal Alek.**

**Even being shoulder to shoulder and shouting, the Clones were barely able to hear themselves under the echoing cacophony of the firefight.**

**"Corporal, flank the kriffing bastards while they're suppressed." Hound ordered.**

**Alek nodded and started issuing instructions of his own. The sergeant drew a Concussion grenade, removed its safety and waited for the fire-team to get into position. The Corporal prepared a smoke grenade, nodded and Hound threw the explosive.**

**Two seconds later, the Clones were buffered by the shock-wave of the concussion grenade. Grax and two squads of riflemen laid in heavy suppressing fire. Alek threw the smoke grenade, which promptly blew up, obscuring the cavern. The Corporal and his men dashed forward, keeping as low as they could.**

**Felix didn't keep his head close enough to the ground, the poor bastard. A heavy blaster bolt caught the right side of his helmet. The armored alloy bubbled like wax put under a blow torch. The sheer kinetic force behind the strike staggered the man and probably broke his neck too, but that was superficial after his skull was already boiled by the thermal release of the hit.**

**Fortunately the rest of Alek's squad made it to the next row of stalactites or whatever they were called and vanished from sight as they moved to flank the enemy.**

**"I'm out!" Grax shouted as his weapon's energy pack rand dry. The firepower going downrange lessened by a significant amount as he was reloading.**

**Hound popped a smoke grenade and sent in in the middle of the cave, reestablishing the temporarily cover for his brothers.**

**"Dex, Rock, get your squads ready. When Alek hits them, we're advancing. Prepare to pop smoke and lead with Concussion grenades. The rest of you, suppressing fire!" The Sergeant ordered. Said Clones shouted an "Yes, boss!" and reloaded their weapons, staggering in preparation to advance behind nearby cover. The leading men of each squad had a smoke ready, with the next man holding a concussion grenade.**

**Two explosions shook the far end of the cave and the firefight's intensity suddenly spiked.**

**"Go!" Hound ordered.**

**Smoke and concussion grenades rained through the cave. Once they detonated, ten Clones charged the enemy position under the covering fire from the rest of the platoon. The first three men were cut down by a heavy repeater, which was in turn blown to pieces by a grenade launcher.**

**"Medic!" Rock shouted, though he didn't stop firing and advancing.**

**Then the left section of the visible enemy fortification exploded in fire and shrapnel as Alek and one other Clone stormed the position.**

**Hound mowed down a pair of the locals, before he had to kiss the ground as another shot at him with one of their sonic weapons. Even the very close miss, sent the NCO's teeth rattling and his body shacking. Before Hound could recover, one of Dex's men cut down the large insect trying to kill him.**

**The survivors of the three squads finished storming the Geonosian's positions, before the Sergeant had fully recovered, giving him a decent view of how his troopers mowed down the flanked defenders. Soon enough, the rest of the platoon was there, securing the position against any unpleasant surprises and a possible counter-attack, while the medics were busy tending the wounded.**

**Hound grunted as on of the Docks slammed an injector into a port of his armor and sent a stimulant cocktail racing through his veins. At least it worked and a few seconds later his head started cleaning up. The Sergeant looked around and smugly noticed that his men were doing everything by the book and haven made any screw up he could see. Then the NCO too a few moments to check up on the wounded, who were tended nearby.**

**That made him wince. Taking that single position had cost him almost a third of his men in dead or wounded. For a few seconds, Hound lamented the fact that his soldiers didn't have the new armors, which would have allowed him to take the enemy strong point with minimal casualties if any. It was too bad that the new gear was rather limited in numbers for the time being and most of it was being tapped for the assault on Objective Alpha One. As far as Hound knew, there were only two or three companies with the new armor sent to take this damn complex, besides the infiltrators who were sent ahead.**

**"Rock, Alek merge your squads into a single unit. Pell's taking point. Once Third Platoon arrives, we're moving in."**

**"Consider it done, Sarge!" Rock answered.**

**"Rook, have you located any jammers?" The NCO asked on of his demo experts, who doubled as a techie.**

**"Not yet, but considering the level of interference in this cave, one's nearby. There should be an engineering section coming with the reinforcements, they'll get it for sure if we're unable to find the damn thing." Rook answered, without looking up from a hand held scanner, which he was using to search for any presents left by the locals.**

**"Carry on. All units, once the back up is here, replenish your ammo and prepare to advance." Hound ordered.**

**Less than a minute later, Third Platoon arrived, led by a Jedi of all things, one who was towering over the Clones.**

**"Good job, Sergeant." Master Mundi nodded at Hound after looking over the secured cavern.**

**"Thank you, sir!" The NCO saluted. He didn't bother asking what the Jedi was doing here. The man's assistance was going to be appreciated… unless he ordered something dumb that would get his men killed.**

**"I understand that your Lieutenant didn't make it?" Mundi asked.**

**"No, sir. The LT bought it while we were passing through the shields." Hound answered.**

**At least this time the initial assault had been planned competently, diminishing as many of the enemy advantages and not hobbling his brothers by insane ROEs. To Hound and most Clones committed to this campaign, the whole thing was a breath of fresh air. The usual kriffing foolishness that killed a lot of his brothers at the start of the war was either diminished or even outright missing. There was no advancing into prepared enemy positions with minimal preparation and bombardment to diminish collateral damage. For a change, command's concern was only for doing the job in the most efficient way, while preserving Clones lives, something that Hound had personally seldom seen since the war began.**

**More often than not, the Jedi in overall command had been saddling the Clones in his and many of his brothers opinion, unrealistic goals or restrictions… something that had gotten a lot of them needlessly killed.**

**At least some of the Jedi did learn in the end, those who survived the initial campaigns anyway and even then, it wasn't all of them.**

**That fact made him and many Clones have mixed feelings about their officers. The Jedi on average appeared to care more about their well being than the majority of normal officers in the army and navy… At the same time, they were giving orders that caused needles deaths among his brothers, even if some of the Jedi were actually learning how to be officers and made less and less mistakes.**

**The worst thing, at least in Hound's opinion, was the fact that as often as not, even Jedi who had actually learned what the kriff they were doing, would issue orders that they knew would lead to more dead and wounded Clones than necessary… for nebulous reasons that wouldn't have done a thing to end the war faster.**

**"The same is true for the Third. Their CO ran afoul of an enemy mine." The Jed sighed, interrupting Hound's train of thought. "I'm taking command of your platoon too, Sergeant. We're going to secure the upper levels of this complex and foil any attempt of breakthrough using the transport hub below us. Once that's done, we'll see what could be done about it. Let's go." The Jedi Master waved forward and led the vanguard of Third Platoon. "We'll take point for now."**

**"Second Platoon, fall in. Look alive people, we have more insects to squash!" Hound shouted to his men. He was hoping that the Jedi would provide a tremendous asset instead of someone who would get them all killed. **


	74. Chapter 22 Parts 1&2

****AN: This chapter was betaed by Zoe Walker on FF. Net. Thank you very much!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 22: Of war and politics**

**=RK=**

**Part 1**

**Near Cache 42**

**Hoth**

In the middle of a hilly, frozen covered plain, a single unmarked APC took shelter in a secluded ravine. It was battered by freezing winds, which picked up snow and twisted it in a rather convincing rendition of a blizzard. A large cargo-hauler droid sat behind it.

Inside, the four occupants shivered despite their thermal armor, the APC's weather conditioner and a few additional heaters. There were two dozen full power cells neatly stacked in a corner within the troop compartment, to supply the soldiers for however long their mission took.

The passengers kept busy with small talk, bemoaning their chilling assignment.

"How are we supposed to find that place anyway?" C4312, more commonly known as Cifor asked. The Clone, who most definitely wasn't a Republic trooper or in any way associated with the GAR, asked his brothers, who weren't part of the army either. No sire, and they had the documents to prove it too. They were even legit.

"That's why we brought the recon droids." Sergeant Hall answered, while huddling next to the heater in the back of the APC.

"Anything left here undisturbed for the past four thousand years would be under few meters of ice at the very least."

"More." The Engineer in their group, Kal, muttered, without tearing his eyes from the terminal monitoring the scout droids.

"What the gear head over there said." Cifor nodded.

"At least we aren't getting shot at by clankers." Eltee, the driver quipped.

"Instead we're freezing our asses on this forsaken ice ball." Cifor grumbled.

"It's a nice place to stash up a cache for a rainy day." The Sergeant shrugged. "What are the odds that someone actually stumbled on it in this wasteland?"

"With our luck?" Cifor, looked incredulously at the NCO.

There was a beeping sound from Kal's console.

"You had to open your mouth, didn't you?" The Engineer grumbled. "We hit pay-dirt. Oh, and there's a storm coming too."

"Well, kriff. Once it's over, you're volunteering to lead setting up the equipment, Cifor." Kel shook his head. "You just had to open your mouth, didn't you?"

"Hey! The storm isn't my fault! Tell him guys!"

"Totally is." Eltee smirked.

**=RK=**

"I didn't think that the time would come when I would enjoy working with clankers." Cifor nodded sagely. He was inside the APC, keeping warm, while seven construction droids were busy assembling the excavation equipment, that needed to cut through ten meters of ice and frozen ground.

"We're getting out to check if everything's set up all right." Eltee gave his brother a dirty look.

"You're the gear-head!" The trooper whined. "I'll only slow you down."

"He might jinx it, buddy." Kal added from his comfortable seat in the front.

"How many times should I repeat myself?! The storm wasn't my fault!" Cifor groaned.

"What about that mess on Geonosis?"

"What?! You can't pin that on me! Tit was those Commando maniacs who brought that clanker battalion on our heads!"

"Uh-huh. The baby rancors in that pirate base we hit last month?"

"They were kinda cute..." Cifor muttered quietly.

"I knew it! It was totally your fault!"

"Enough. Just get out and check the gear. It should be assembled any minute now."

"What about you, sarge?"

"I'm feeling merciful today so I'm not sending you on a recon out there just to spare myself a headache. Move!" Hall glared at his brothers, wondering who he pissed off to be saddled up with this bunch of jokers.

**=RK=**

"Uh, sarge... How are we supposed to get down there?" Kal asked. For a change the driver had dismounted too and was peaking at the rather steep and smooth hole leading to the upper part of a metal door. The rest was still buried under a loot of damp, half-frozen soil.

"We have climbing equipment as well as a few grav-harneses, like those used by the Shock Troopers."

"Damn. You expect us to use something certified by those lunatics?!" Cifor winced under his tightly sealed helmet. So far his thermal armor was working as advertized so he hadn't started freezing. Yet.

"You're volunteering to test them."

"Nah, I'll pass."

"That wasn't a suggestion."

"What did I do to deserve that?"

"Where should I start? Go get kitted." Hall pointed at the nearby cargo hauler.

**=RK=**

Four lost droids and a lot of improvisation later, the Clones entered the underground complex. On a first look, it looked like a bust. Just a damp, dead end corridor. That didn't deter Hall, who following his instructions went half-way to the end, turned right and tapped four specific places on the wall.

For a few seconds nothing happened. Then a cringe-worthy grinding sound echoed in the small space. A panel slid up, revealing a camera and pair of bulky sensor pods.

_"Identify yourselves."_

"Sigma-four-beta-niner-24143-56141-Gamma-Delta-Omega." The Sergeant carefully pronounced each word and number.

"_Code accepted. Password is Eldar."_

"Farseer."

"_Password accepted. Insert key." _A small opening appeared in the end of the corridor.

"Here goes nothing." Hall muttered. The sergeant retrieved a tiny black box from his belt and inserted it in the key hole.

A few tense seconds of waiting followed, until a wave of static washed over the clones. Then they heard the unmistakable sound of magnetic clamps releasing and the blank wall slid back revealing dimly lit, gray corridor.

"Our target's in the far end of the facility. Another team will be checking for anything else of use." The Sergeant muttered as they walked between two rows of sealed doors until they reached a massive blast door at the end of the second corridor.

"_Additional authorization required to access Omega class items." _

"TK-0152-6642-5123-6553-D. Code-phrase Cherry Blossoms."

"_Authentication successful. Releasing Omega cache into your custody. Have a nice day."_

The armored door, which looked like it could shrug off multiple turbolaser shots, opened with a quiet hiss only to reveal a small room with four metal containers placed on a plain table.

Hall had expected something grander from a chamber supposedly containing superweaons.

He went to the containers and looked over the inscription on their tops. Three of them meant nothing to him. The fourth however was his target.

It was a simple thing. Two letters and two numbers.

**CN-12**

Just to be sure, the Sergeant carefully unlocked the box and looked inside. Yep. Two rows of chips within a stasis field as well as a pair of ancient data pads. He sealed it again and waved to Kal and Cifor to pick it up.

They were done with this frozen waste.

**=RK=**

**CIC**

**Republic Cruiser "Chimera"**

**First Assault Fleet Flagship**

**High Orbit above Objective Alpha**

**Geonosis**

"Admiral on Deck!" One of the troopers guarding the cruiser's nerve center shouted when Yularen stepped out of the turbolift.

"Carry on." The Admiral snapped, while anyone without something important to do was busy standing to attention. "Commodore, give me a status report."

Pellaeon nodded and pointed at the main screen. "Infiltration units are in position. We're conducting Ion strikes all over the AO, while simultaneously bombarding all know enemy positions which could be used to reinforce Objective Alpha. The assault on the HUB is in progress." The Commodore pointed at a rather large mountain near the primary target. There were multiple friendly icons all around it. "The diversion force is at the jump off position and the units tagged for the main assault are ready to exploit any opening."

"It will have to do. Air dominance?"

"We have a third of our remaining small craft on call as well as six frigates for close orbital support."

"It's time to see if the General's latest brainstorm is going to work."

"It'd better. He's down there too."

"Bring the fleet to condition two and launch the reserve fighters. I want us ready for any surprises. Cut off the bombardment at my mark and keep scanning for any enemy concentrations approaching the AO. I want any local dumb enough to show his head vaporized." Yularen ordered. "Mark!"

The rain of Ion bolts hammering the shields over the CIS's new droid factories and the desert around them suddenly cut off. Once the last one slammed into the ground, three divisions launched smoke grenades to cover their advance towards the Separatists' defensive trenches. At the same time, five infiltration teams slipped behind enemy lines with their newly-issued active camouflage and headed for the theater shield generators.

What Yularen hoped to be the final act of this invasion had began.

**=RK=**

**Part 2**

**In the vicinity of Objective Alpha**

**Geonosis**

Thick bolts of Ion energy slammed into the landscape before us, ravaging any electronics they could reach. Shields sparkled as they absorbed and reflected the power raining upon them, further saturating the surrounding area.

The wild energy released upon the helpless desert took the form of a terrible lighting storm. Blue forks slammed into the ground, discharging themselves into the soil and incidentally burning anything without a strong defense. Minefields either detonated with hellish explosions or simply fused into dangerous lumps of melted metal and no-longer stable explosives. Automated turrets became ugly ornaments as their internal components were melted into slag. The droids and locals caught in the open suffered similar, gruesome fates as they were fried by the Ionic storm ravaging the countryside.

It was beautiful sight.

When the pyrotechnics finally ended and the lighting storm dissipated, it was time. The divisions assigned to the diversion roared to life and plunged headlong into the enemy defenses, thick smoke from hundreds of grenades and ECM obscuring their approach.

That was our cue too. A predetermined signal from my comm sent a platoon moving, with myself at the vanguard. Our light armors were already running in a stealth mode, making us invisible to most sensor and the good old Mark One eyeball. The movements of the armored division attacking the enemy positions would ensure that any seismic sensor in the area would be less that reliable even before the other Force Adepts and I started working our particular brand of "magic".

We moved through the smoke like ghosts. Little more than the odd shimmering outline heralded our passage. On our right flank, the battle was just beginning, with the enemy firing blind in the artificial darkness. A few tanks and APCs were torn apart by hostile artillery , before the leading elements passed the shield threshold.

Then the mutual slaughter began. The first tanks died under concentrated barrages of heavy weaponry within seconds, but a few lived long enough to pop additional smoke and ECM. The mad brew created by our engineers started spreading within the protective bubble, giving a fighting chance to the second wave of armor.

The battle was stating in earnest when we passed through the shields and jogged towards a large boulder, which was anchoring two enemy trench lines. When we got close, I enhanced myself with the Force, something that was finally starting to be less painful and reached the top in a single jump.

The squad of locals who were using the place as a forward observation post never saw me coming. I landed on the nearest one , crushing him beneath my boots. Moving faster than the Geonosians could follow, I slammed my right fist in the head of the nearest still living Separatist. The vibro blade built in my gauntlet extended and pierced his skull without even slowing down. In the same time I had raised my free hand and directed the Force to choke the life from his partner.

The remaining pair of locals had enough time to click in surprise and start raising their weapons, before I telekinetically picked them up and slammed them into the rust colored rock.

There was no time to waste. The observers death was going to be noticed any moment now.

I went to the edge overlooking my platoon and pulled them up with the Force. They wasted no time and jumped down the other side of the rock formation, relying on the grarv-harnesses I insisted everyone carry. I was the last one to hit the ground,

The impact made me stumble, and all that preventing my helmet from kissing the sand was Boil's helpful arm.

Kriff, using the Force to conceal us all in addition to everything else was a murderous after the stunt I pulled earlier with the Battle Meditation.

I forced the pain and dizziness away, straightening up. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep this level of Force use for much longer, though I really needed it until we were past the front line.

"Go. We need to keep moving." I hissed and followed my own order.

If it wasn't for the Force shenanigans I was pulling out, we would have undoubtedly have been noticed the moment I dispatched those observers. The sheer strain brought me to a near collapse, but we did get behind the front-lines, a and into a small crevice that as far as we could tell wasn't under active observation.

Then I allowed myself to release the concealing technique and fell to my knees.

"General! Are you all right?!" Waxer sprinted to my position when he heard me fall.

"Do I look all right?" I managed to croak, while I was patting my harness for the last dose of the drug I brewed a few days ago. It took my shaking fingers a couple of attempts, but I finally twisted off the cap, then I put the bottle down and wrenched my helmet off, becoming visible.

The next thing I know was the alchemical concoction sliding down my throat, scalding my insides.

A few seconds later, the shacking subsided and I could feel myself being rejuvenated. I took a deep breath of the hot desert air and put my helmet back on, before reactivating the active camouflage.

"Let's go." I ordered after using the force to further cloak our movement. Hopefully the rest of the strike teams were handling their tasks better than us, because I didn't think that our luck would hold much longer. It was a miracle that the enemy wasn't already looking for us.

**=RK=**

"This might have gone better!" Ahsoka grumbled. The young Togruta was busy deflecting blaster bolts, while her command unloaded shot after shot in the ranks of the Droids closing in on her unit.

The Force clearly hated her. That's the only way she could explain the ground falling away from behind her platoon to reveal a tunnel chock full of killer robots. The only good news was that the droids were as surprised as the Clones who fell in their midst, allowing Ahsoka to save a few of her men thanks to some fast thinking and the Force. Even then, three people were shot before they could react to finding themselves surrounded by the machines.

The fact that the tunnel was sealed moments later by a thermal detonator didn't help Tano's strike team. Their cover was blown and now they were being swarmed by what suspiciously looked like a whole kriffing battalion.

"Left flank!" The Lieutenant usually in charge of the platoon shouted.

"Of course. This is getting better and better…" Ahsoka grumbled and glanced in the relevant direction. Sure enough, there were at least a score of SB droids taking them in the flank.

That simply wouldn't do. Ahsoka hissed in anger, glaring after a near-miss. It wasn't enough that her master went a bit mad and get a lot of people killed, before landing himself into a bacta tank.

Nope. That had to reflect on her too, making many Jedi Masters question her integrity. If it wasn't for Obi-Wan taking her under his wing, she might have ended into the agri-corps or something just in case if that conversation between Master Kenobi and the Council she had accidentally overheard was anything to go by.

As if all that was not enough, now a bunch of kriffing clankers were killing her men! She not only saw, but _felt _them get hurt and die.

People under her command. Clones whose well being was her responsibility.

"No!" Ahsoka hissed.

Bursts of blaster fire popped the light shield of another soldier, before simply hammering enough firepower into him to burn through his armor. Another was blown to bits by a tiny missile.

"NO!" Tano growled.

The Force hummed around her, as if it was feeding by the anger she was feeling. The Jedi knew what she was supposed to do – crush her feelings and simply disregard feeling how her men were dying around her.

Once upon a time she would have tried her best to do precisely that, even if it meant more people were going to die.

Instead, Ahsoka forced her will over the Force, grappling it with mental fingers and channeling her will. Sparks danced in front of her eyes as she felt an incredible wellspring of power all around her.

"NO!" She shouted a third time and waved her free hand at the SB Droids flanking her position… and the Force eagerly jumped to obey her. A single bolt of crackling lighting jumped from her palm and slammed at the closest machine, frying it internals, before blasting the droid off its feet and burning out the one behind it. Ahsoka swept her hand left and right, disabling clanker after clanker.

Once the last one of the flanking force was gone, Ahsoka finally cut off her attack and smiled.

Then her eyes rolled back and she collapsed.

"Medic! The commander's down!" One of the Clones shouted before darkness claimed Tano in her sweet embrace.


	75. Chapter 22 Parts 3&4

****AN: This chapter was betaed by Zoe Walker on FF. Net. Thank you very much!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 22: Of war and politics**

**=RK=**

**Part 3**

**In the vicinity of Objective Alpha**

**Geonosis**

It was different this time. She could feel it all as if she had been blind up to this point.

Death screams. Fear. Desperation. Determination. Anger. Terror… and so much more.

The Force itself was alive with the emotions of the countless people fighting and dying all around her. It was supercharged by them, almost made tangible… and finally, Shaak Ti understood. It was so obvious. So easy to lose oneself in the malestorm surrounding her. So enticing.

The Jedi Master smiled as she let the downpour of emotions wash over her, using it to focus the Force around her into a weapon.

The time for stealth was over anyway. The Togruta and her platoon were just a few hundred meters from their prize and they had to cut through two mechanized companies to reach it.

There were six dug in tanks, at least ten APCs she could see and about two hundred assorted droids and Geonosians blocking the way.

"Prepare grenades. Mix of EMP, frag and Thermal detonators." The Jedi Master whispered.

The invisible troopers behind her complied, each of them removing explosives from their harnesses. Shaak Ti took a deep breath and let her mind expand outwards until she could sense each grenade, then she pushed even more and her consciousness flew over the enemy lines. She could feel the locals' alien minds as they huddled in their trenches, the cold, uninviting presence of the Droids and the dull shapes of the vehicles. The Jedi fixed that image in her mind and she picked up the grenades. The EMPs flew first, streaking towards every concentration of droids. They were followed by frags aimed at the locals and the Thermal detonators dashing under the vehicles.

The enemy saw what was coming, shouting and pointing at the raining explosives. A few had the presence of mind to try shooting the incoming ordinance, while most simply stared in disbelief. That feeling was suddenly replaced by shock and pain as the CIS position were claimed by fiery death. Scores of Droids fell down with their their electronics burned out. Dozens of the locals died from the explosions or were cut down by flying shrapnel. In the same time, tanks and APCs were consumed by fusion fire, that melted anything unlucky to be close enough.

"GO!" Shaak Ti shouted and surged forward.

The Jedi's lightsaber flew into her outstretched hand, igniting in mid-air. Her stealth field cut of and the energy was automatically dumped into the shield forming around her as she sprinted forward. The Clones followed her, shooting at anything that moved.

A few of the shocked survivors from the surprised attack tried to fight back and were gunned down for their trouble.

The Republic soldiers were almost through, when additional defenders sprang from around the generator. They were a mixture of SB Droids and Geonosian warriors, led by a pair of massive locals, who looked closer to walking tanks than to their lesser brethren.

Shaak Ti deflected the few blaster bolts sent her way and jumped in the midst of the closest enemy group. She reflected a handful of shot while flying through the air and sent a telekinetic blast forward before she hit the ground. Her attack threw the droids off their feet, leaving them easy prey for her flashing blade.

Meanwhile, the Clones were hammering shot after shot in the last line of defense, cutting down the locals one after another. Grenade launchers spoke, shattering the enemy flank farthest from Shaak Ti, while the center simply melted under the relentless barrage of blaster bolts.

That left the Jedi to deal with the pair of giant locals sprinting her way. They opened up with blasters built into their right arms, while long vibroblades extended from under the left. A squad of Clones tried to take Elites down before they reached their General, yet their accurate bursts blaster fire splashed harmlessly over the tough armor of the overgrown bugs.

Shaak Ti shook her head at the men charging her. The Force was still singing all around her, begging to be used. The Jedi raised a hand and pointed at the nearest enemy. She picked him up and slammed him into his buddy, sending them both tumbling through the sands. The Jedi Master picked up the same Elite and used the Force to crush the life out of him.

The Togruta frowned when she felt the life deserting him. Her instincts howled in victory. She felt sick, sweet satisfaction at taking a life through the Force. It made her feel exhilaration, yet at the same time.. it felt somehow wrong, off.

Her sudden confusion almost let the remaining Elite surprise her as he found his footing and sprinted at her, waving his vibroblade like a madman.

Shaak Ti got out from her stupor just in time to roll away from a vicious swing. She wasted no time and riposted with her lightsaber. Her emerald blade caught the alien's right hind leg at the joint and the insectoid stumbled with a cry of pain. The Jedi gave let him no time to recover and jumped on his back. She thrust her blade at the base of his skull and held it there for the few seconds it took to melt through the armor, despite the Geonosian's attempt to shake her off.

The armor yielded and the local died when the laser sword boiled his brain.

"Set the charges and let's get out of here!" Shaak Ti ordered. She glanced at the troopers and smiled. The demo experts were already half-way to the generator.

Now if only they could hold on until reinforcements arrived…

**=RK=**

"Ma'am, why aren't we attacking the generator?!" The Lieutenant commanding her assigned platoon asked Aria after ducking under a sonic blast.

"We're a distraction." She deadpanned and threw a frag downrange.

"That's those division's job, not ours!"

"We've got an insane killer Droid on our side." The Sith apprentice spoke just as her grenade detonated, tearing apart a couple of the insects.

"You could have mentioned this before!"

"Need to know. Besides, this way's more fun!" Aria chuckled.

The ground shook and a massive explosion washed over their heads, throwing a pair of clones who weren't hugging the low cover off their feet.

A few moments later, once the echo of the massive detonation subdued, the Clones could hear heavy blaster fire and explosion coming from behind the enemy lines.

Aria peeked up from the small ravine she and the LT were using for cove. HK was over there, having fun with a heavy blaster. He was throwing the odd Thermal detonator too, obliterating the enemy groups that had survived the destruction of the generator.

"Well done, platoon. It's time to find something else important to break!" Aria waved her men forward.

**=RK=**

"You've got to be kidding me!" I decapitated a droid and stared at the familiar figure striding towards me, followed by a company of the locals and someone in heavy Mandalorian armor. "Waxer, get two fire-teams and slag the generator. Everyone else, with me!" I ordered and sprinted towards the new arrivals.

The woman leading the enemy reinforcements could have been Aria's twin sister. So she was either another clone, or the original.

The enemy opened fire a moment after I used the Force to create a shield between us. Dozens of blaster bolts and sonic blasts slammed into the invisible wall of energy, giving a nice opportunity for my men to take aim and let lose. The first rank of the locals were turned into smoking piles of burned meat, though the Chiss woman deflected anything that came her way. The huge Mandalorian behind her simply shrugged off anything that hit his armor.

I grit my teeth and let the shield fall. I simply didn't have the strength left to maintain it any longer. Not if I had to face off against a Dark Jedi.

Before the defensive screen dissipated I rolled around a nearby rock, neatly avoiding a bunch of the green stuff that the locals loved to shoot at us. That gave me a few moments to catch my breath, before I sensed the Dark Jedi closing on my position.

"I'll deal with the Force Adept, you take care of the rest!" I shouted.

As I jumped form behind my cover I saw one of my men catching a sonic blast with his face after losing his shields. He fell to the ground like a puppet with his strings cut. The damn thing probably liquified his brain. I needed a way to protect against that.

Two of the overgrown insects flew at me, shouting something ineligible on their language. Probably cursing our existence and the hell we were unleashing upon their world.

I cut the first one in half and blasted the second with a concentrated bolt of Sith Lighting, before turning to face the Chiss woman. I could feel fear mixed with excitement coming from her as she strode confidently towards me.

**=RK=**

**Part 4**

**In the vicinity of Objective Alpha**

**Geonosis**

"Any ideas, sir?" The sole still living NCO of Obi-Wan's platoon shouted over the roar of the firefight.

"We need to get out of here." Kenobi remarked dryly while deflecting blaster bolts.

Their part of the mission had gone without a hitch up to the very end. Slipping through enemy lines and units rushing to reinforce the front was quite _interesting_ though with some liberal help from the Force it was actually doable. Neutralizing the three platoons guarding the generator had proven more of a challenge, but a surprise attack had taken out a third of them before the enemy knew what hit them and the advantage given by the new armors was sufficient to make the assault go smoothly.

Their luck ran out while a squad was busy explosives to the generator. A reinforcing mechanized battalion had turned up to check on the commotion and now had them pinned down in the ravine housing their target.

That left the Jedi Master and his troops in a bind, because they really didn't feel like blowing themselves up, but with the every moment the damn generator remained intact, more Republic troopers were dying. Not to mention that simply disabling the damn think would prompt the Seps to rush their position and they had the numbers and firepower to overrun it.

"I need two squads of volunteers. The rest of you take the wounded and make yourselves scarce. Then blow the generator once we're all clear of it. Sergeant, you're leading the platoon out of here. And don't forget to pop up smoke!"

"Yes, sir. It's been a honor."

"We're not dead yet." Kenobi muttered. Still it felt nice to be appreciated by your troops. Sergeant Wind actually meant it.

Obi-Wan let the Force flow through him, emptying his mind. He felt calmness descend upon him, any misgivings he might have had for his Anakin-style plan dissolving. There was only him and what had to be done.

"Follow me men!" Kenobi spoke just loud enough to be heard and jumped from his cover.

A handful of smoke grenades sailed in front of the Jedi Master and once they released their contents, the Clones followed.

Obi-Wan's perception shrunk, leaving just him and the blaster bolts heading in his direction. His lightsaber moved by the will of the Force, intercepting every single shot that would have hit him and reflecting most of them back. He was only vaguely aware of the Clones racing on his heels and unloading their weapons at the enemy.

However he did notice when the explosives detonated and blew the shield generator to pieces. Kenobi simply couldn't miss the blast-wave that threw him face first in the sand.

**=RK=**

"Brave but foolish." I quipped at the approaching woman.

"You're the one causing so much trouble to my Master." She narrowed her eyes at me. "I'm so not impressed." The Chiss hissed in fury once had time to study me through the Force.

Ouch. That stung considering that right now I was scrapping the barrel as far as how much Force I could channel before burning myself out.

While taking her out, preferably for later questioning would be ideal, simply remaining in one piece until the shields were down and the backup arrived, would do too.

At least this promised to be fun.

The Dark Jedi dashed at me. Her lithe body movedwith ease and grace that belittled what my apprentice was capable of. She blurred, enhancing her speed with the Force and suddenly was in my face. I deflected a stab aimed at my chest and had to stop a telekinetic push that would have sent me off my feet by slamming my own in it.

The two attacks exploded against each other, bathing us with raw Force energy and pushing us away from each other. That didn't deter my opponent, who immediately went on the offensive.

Facing something actually proficient in Makashi, when she was faster than me, was… troublesome. Oh, I was enhancing my speed too, though not anywhere near to my usual capacity. As it was, my nerves screamed as the energy coursing through my body scrubbed them raw.

That left me in a bind. The woman was simply dancing around me, probing my defenses with swift jabs and slashes, melting like water from my counter-attacks. I gritted my teeth, forced myself to ignore the pain that wracked me with each movement, and assumed Soresu stance.

As she attacked again, I started pulling back, trading distance in an attempt to mitigate her speed advantage. I parried a shallow slash, ducked under a rock the Chiss hurled my way and took a step back as she lunged, letting her lightsaber overload my shields, while I deflected shots from a local who thought flanking me was a splendid idea. I rewarded the idiot by grabbing him with the force and throwing him at the Chiss.

She jumped, landing on the flying body and used him as a spring board in a move that should have been suicidal, though in fact it turned out to be anything but. While in mid-air she sent another Force blast my way, forcing me to counter it or find myself on my back, open for a Coup De Grace. Her attack did its job, staggering and keeping me in the same position as she descended upon me.

I roared in pain and anger as I gathered the dissipating energy around me and sent it at the Dark Jedi just before she could slam her saber into me. She was thrown back like a leaf picked up by a gust of wind, though that didn't stop the Chiss from throwing her lightsaber at me. I battered the blade aside, swaying on my feet. Accessing the force was turning from touching a live wire into something akin to molten metal running up and down my veins.

I had obviously underestimated how much I had recovered from the stunt with the Battle Meditation.

The smart play here would be to call a retreat and kill the kriffing woman another day.

I was too pissed off and enraged by the pain to contemplate running away. Instead I pulled the closest of the locals towards me and before the insectoid could react, I grabbed his face. The Force surged through me as I drained his life force, giving myself a brief moment of respite. The soothing caress of the stolen energy was a cool balm over my raw nerves.

The Chiss recovered, while I took a brief time-out to rejuvenate myself. She reclaimed back her weapon too and was sprinting towards me. I threw the desiccated corpse of the Geonosian I was holding at her and swiftly followed it. The Dark Jedi simply plowed through it by surrounding herself in the Force, turning it into little more than dust and chunks of brittle bone.

She was upon me a second later, trying to cut my throat with a precise strike. My blade barely deflected the attack. In the same time I trust my palm at her and channeled as much Force as I could into a lighting bolt. I saw red and screamed in agony, while the woman was bowed back under the onslaught, her screams merging with mine.

The Force was shouting too, though I simply couldn't respond in time to the warning. Blaster bolts hammered down my shield and slammed into my side, interrupting my attack. The armor barely held, though the thermal transfer seared my skin below it. A stream of liquid fire followed, though I was somehow able to gather enough Force to start pushing against it. The flames curved around invisible barrier, though even then they licked around it blackening my armor.

Using the last vestiges of the Force I jumped back just in time to avoid being turned into a human torch. I landed badly and only the armor locking in place prevented me from twisting my ankle.

I hissed in pain and triggered the prototype medical system that was built in my and few of the other armors. Seconds later, a cocktail of painkillers and stimulants filled my bloodstream. They were strong enough to raise the dead as the sudden surge of energy I felt could testify.

That done, I looked around. The man in Mandalorian armor was carrying the Chiss away and the remains of the locals were busy covering them while they were pulling back too.

I frowned. There were a lot of them. Retreating simply made no sense.

Then I heard the unmistakable whine of Ion engines. Very many of them.

I glanced up and grinned like a loon. The sky was chock full with fast approaching dots. I could barely made the hundreds of torpedoes and missiles racing down in front of them.


	76. Chapter 22 Parts 5&6

**AN: This chapter was betaed by Zoe Walker on FF. Net. Thank you very much!  
**

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 22: Of war and politics**

**=RK=**

**Part 5**

**In the vicinity of Objective Alpha**

**Geonosis**

You got to love air support. It makes for a wide variety of sins. It had saved his skin more than once, while he was soldier for hire for various local governments.

Unfortunately for the man known only as Forge, this time all the bombers and orbiting ships belonged to the enemy and that indeed made up for a lot of "miscalculations" like infiltrating a heavy fortified area with just a handful of platoons, while whole divisions were busy expending themselves against the fixed defenses.

The thing was, it kriffing worked. Oh, Forge's current employer, who he had incidentally just carried into the small cave in which he was taking cover, had planned for such an eventuality. There were at least couple of platoons securing each generator, with QRF stationed nearby. When the Republic attacked, Sev'rance personally led a platoon of the locals to secure the closest objective.

Initially the plan appeared to be working. They received reports that all enemy incursions were being engaged, half of them before reaching the generators.

Then, to his utter lack of surprise, the plan fell appart, because the enemy did have a vote in the matter. Duh. After that, there was no more time for thinking things through. The Republic force was in sight and it was time to earn himself a bonus

That didn't go according to plan either. Forge managed to take out a few Clones, which was surprisingly hard. The combination of their much better than expected training and new kit, made them unpleasantly resilient targets. Instead of dying under his modified blasters, they tanked the shots long enough to seek cover and return fire.

It was all right. A few custom grenades solved that problem nicely. One of the Clones was immolated by a nice incendiary cocktail, another ended up as a ice-enclosed statue and a third got his organ liquified by a heavily modified sonic grenade.

Forge was just starting to have some fun, when he saw his employer get into trouble. The Sith apprentice had been dominating the battle with her enemy counterpart up until that point. Then the other Sith, fallen Jedi or whatever the new Republic general was, got pissed off and started frying her with lightning shot from his hands.

The Mandalorian thought that trick was neat and idly wondered if he could replicate it after a few days in the shop, while he sprinted towards the Force users. He unloaded half a dozen shots in the enemy's side, which only staggered him, though that at least made the man stop with the lightning show. It also allowed Forge to close in and unleash his flamethrower on the Republic officer.

For a moment the Mandalorian thought that he got the bastard, though that notion was almost immediately dissuaded when a soot-streaked figure leaped out and back in a feat impossible to emulate without a jet pack or rocket boots.

That's when the shield generator blew up, making Forge aware how screwed his side on Geonosis suddenly was. He glanced up, saw the deflector shimmering and moved like a man possessed. He grabbed Sev'rance and sprinted back, looking for a nice secluded hole to hide.

The shield above them dissolved, leaving the entrenched CIS forces to their fate.

Forge could already hear the banshee's song of diving bombers. The ground started shaking as the orbiting fleet jumped the gun. The Mandalorian saw the small entrance of a cave and dashed in before the world outside ended.

What just a few minutes ago was a deadly series of interconnected trenches, bunkers and dug in armor, all manned by tens of thousands of CIS troopers and droids simply ceased to be under the relentless pounding of the Republic forces.

A few minutes later, when the bombardment subdued, Sev'rance was showing some signs of life after Forge hooked her up on as much stimulants as he dared. The woman groaned and her eyes fluttered open.

"Wha? What ran me over?"

"That man who had been giving the Confederacy so much trouble lately."

"I was kicking his ass!" Sev'rance frowned in thought and pouted a moment later.

"From what I saw, you were. Until he got pissed off." Forge shrugged. "We're in trouble."

"How bad?"

"The shields are down. Enemy air power and orbital support are finishing gutting the army around us. That only leaves the factories themselves."

"Even with their own shield, they won't last long." Tann groaned.

"That leaves us in a bind." Forge nodded. "Unless your friends dislodge the fleet in orbit in the next few hours, we're kriffed."

"There won't be a counterattack here. Not anytime soon."

"Usually I would be all for running the blockade, but there's awful lot of metal in orbit." The Mandalorian mused.

"Getting captured isn't really an option."

"I'm not going for a last stand or something. I guess we could try slipping away and hiding in the desert until most of that fleet leaves. However..." Forge shrugged.

"I know. With the CIS presence done for, the locals would want our heads after that mess with the Queen."

"I've got an idea..." Forge muttered.

"I'm all ears."

He told her.

"Are you insane?! That's… Words fail me!" Sev'rance spluttered.

"It would make no difference in the end, though it might get us out of here. Besides we did accomplish our mission..."

"Kriff it. Call the rest of the crew and set things up. I just hope that my master won't be too displeased. I don't look forward to explaining this to him..."

"Don't look at me. I'm just a hired gun."

The Chiss woman snorted.

**=RK=**

**Four hours later**

**Republic FOB**

**Former CIS staging area**

**Geonosis**

The former sep command center was little more than a cave, which still bore the fresh scars of battle. The enemy equipment had been torn down and sent back for the Intel corps to look over and our engineers had rigged our toys in its place. We even got a few stools, courtesy of our CIS friends, something that my back was rather grateful for.

"General, we've pulled back our mauled units. Two fresh divisions will be ready to move on Alpha within the hour." Colonel Pell reported. The man looked flustered and far from happy. One of the divisions, which led the assault was a Caamasi one, thanks to the very nice tanks they were equipped with.

They had suffered heavy casualties during the diversion, though an order of magnitude less than our own armored formation, that accompanied them. At least I had a proof that our allies tanks were as good as suspected and hoped that they would soon enter mass production to replace our walkers in the dedicated armor role.

"Good. Send my compliments to the commander of Third Armored. His boys and girls did great."

"I will, general."

"Do we have word about the rest of the infiltration units?" I turned to Shaak Ti, who had arrived a couple of minutes ago. She looked a bit tired, though I could feel the satisfaction simply oozing from her.

"Kenobi, while battered, should be all right. Your apprentice is in one piece as well as that crazy droid of yours. There's still fighting in Ahsoka's sector. No word on her or her men's status yet. All I can feel is that she's alive."

"Send additional units to that sector and keep a med-evac ready. The assault on the transport hub?" I turned my head towards Piett, who had been running various important errands lately. He did make a good aide.

"We've secured the upper levels, though so far no unit has reported a successful breach in the transport network below."

"Sir, we've been just contacted by a CIS officer, a Sev'rance Tann. She want's to make a deal."

"That name does ring a bell." I muttered. The Chiss from whom my apprentice was cloned and the woman who almost handed me my ass not too long ago. "Patch her through, though bounce the connection. I don't want them pinpointing this location."

**=RK=**

**Part 6**

**Republic FOB**

**Former CIS staging area**

**Geonosis**

"I'll offer you a different deal." I spoke quietly. "Shut down the shields, deactivate as many droids in this AO as you can and I'll alloy you and your Mando buddy to leave Geonosis unmolested. One hour. If it's not done by then, we're taking down the factory complex the hard way and we'll have a chat when we get you. I do have some questions for you."

There was silence from the comm unit.

"Consider it done." An unfamiliar male voice, one distorted by a helmet, spoke half a minute later.

"Then we have a deal. I don't need to explain to you what would happen if you're fucking with me, do I?" I smiled and cut off the comm. "Continue preparing for the final assault. Even if the shield goes down, proceed with extreme caution and look for any nasty surprises they might have left for us."

"Understood. Are you going to let them go, sir?" Colonel Pell asked.

"Of course. Not doing so would simply insure that any reasonable enemy commander in a similar position would fight to inflict us as many casualties as possible before going down. If it works, we'll neutralize the kriffing factories a bit cheaper than otherwise. At any rate, we won't be getting them intact. Make sure that the engineers go first if the whole complex isn't leveled when we reach it. I'll bet you whatever you want that the place will be rigged to blow."

The main part of the Campaign on Geonosis ended with a whimper instead of one last titanic clash.

Tann held up to her word and forty minutes later the shield shut down along with a third of the droids protecting our objective. Orbital and air strikes shattered the last enemy defensive lines, letting an armored thrust break through with no trouble to speak off. The locals on site offered fanatical, but futile resistance and were crushed by tanks supported by two infantry battalions kitted with our new equipment.

The fact that Shaak Ti, Aria and HK led the troopers sure helped mop them up faster.

I was right about the charges too. The whole factory complex blew up before our leading elements could reach it.

"Well, that's done. Sit rep on our other offensive and what's happening with the transport hub?"

"Sir, our forces are ten kilometers from the industrial area and report heavy fighting. We have units two kilometers from the nearest shield generators, but they're bogged down."

"Start shifting our reserves to the active offensive." I interrupted Piett and addressed one of the comm officers in the CP.

"Willco, sir."

"Continue."

"There's heavy fighting above the HUB, though our forces continue to gradually push the enemy back. They've requested heavy infantry support."

"Shift General Ti and Commander Astra's units to that operation. Anything else I need to know right now?"

"Negative, sir."

"Good man. Carry one. Comm, I need secure line to Coruscant, GAR HQ. Patch me to General Valentra." I ordered and relaxed in my chair. We kriffing did it. With a bit of luck I was going to get out of this dust ball soon. There were only the small issues of compiling the never sufficiently kriffed up AARs and dealing with the Skywalker fiasco.

A few minutes later, the holo-projector showing my forces disposition in the AO shimmered and changed into three figures.

Kriff. One was Valentra all right. He was looking unusually chipper in his Class One uniform. Next to him was Palpatine, who was grinning at me, damn him, and Yoda, who in turn appeared to be less than cheerful.

"Chancellor. General Valentra, Master Yoda." I greeted them in turn.

"General Veil, good to see you again. I understand that you have a report to make?"

"Our primary objective on Geonosis has been completed. The experimental droid factories are gone. Our forces are within ten kilometers of the primary industrial zone on the planet and pushing hard. We're also attacking various transport hubs to disrupt troop and material movements."

"This is a great news! I want to be the first to congratulate you and your soldiers for a job well done!" Palpatine beamed at me.

What the kriff got him so cheerful, damn it?

"Good job, Veil. It's good to see you still in one piece." Valentra smirked.

Yoda stared at me for a long moment. "Good news, this is. Disturbance in the Force we felt. Glad we are, that affect you it did not"

I had to use all the tricks I knew not to smirk at the Jedi… or burst into a fit of laughter.

"General Veil, achieving your primary objective on Geonosis at this time is a great news, especially in light of recent events." Palpatine spoke gravely. He was suddenly looking very concerned. "I know that you could use a bit of rest, but the Republic has a need of you as well as General Kenobi."

"What's the issue?" I asked, keeping my voice neutral.

"The Mandalorians." Valentra stated. "They're about to receive a Separatist's delegation."

Well, isn't that interesting. I wondered what my Mandalorian "friend" has been up to while I was stuck on Geonosis. I was about to find out soon.

"You want me to negotiate their entrance in the war on our side?" I asked.

"Neutral they must be. Or allies." Yoda muttered.

"What Master Yoda said." Valentra nodded.

"Your reputation would help with any negotiations and General Kenobi is friend of their current leader." Palpatine added.

True enough. That would also keep me from kicking separatists assess on the battlefield for the duration, something that Sidious probably wanted. However, it wasn't like I could refuse. Besides I planned to go to Mandalore sooner than latter. After all, I wanted them on _my _side.

"Once we've wrapped up the situation ground-side and Kenobi is cleared to travel, we'll be ready to leave. Is our arrival at Mandalore cleared up?"

"We've negotiated to send a delegation." Palpatine nodded. "Call us when your ready to depart. What happened to General Kenobi?" I could almost believe that his concern was genuine.

"He was wounded while leading a strike team to neutralize a shield generator." I shrugged. "He's expect to recover withing the week."

"Good." Yoda sighed. "Lost too many Jedi we have."

I have to give that to Sidious – he didn't show any reaction at the comment, though I knew that he had to be cackling inside at the thought.

"Speaking about Jedi..." I sighed. "Skywalker." I spat the name, displaying much more anger than I felt at the idiot.

Valentra winced and Yoda's ears drooped. Even Palpatine placed a regretful expression on his face.

"That's one ugly situation." My fellow general muttered. "He's going on trial for that."

"I couldn't agree more." I snarled. "When is the investigation starting?"

"I've dispatched a team and it should reach Geonosis in couple of days. They will interview you, Kenobi and whoever you'll take with you to Mandalore first."

"Good. I hope that the Jedi Order has no objections?" I stared at the Grand Master.

I was surprised that Palpatine hadn't broken out his favorite alternative to popcorn and cola as he watched the show.

"A trial must be held." The regret in Yoda's voice was clear. I could feel it even across all the light years separating us.

After the debacle with Windu, Skywalker's kriff up was going to shatter most of the credibility the Jedi had left. That was an something I couldn't have done better if I planned it… even if it messed up some of my other plans. With Padme still out and with no indications if she would recover, that left me lacking in the department of close political allies outside the military, even if the Senate liked me for now.

That only underlined how important it was going to be getting the Mandalorians on my side.

"One will be held." Valentra growled. "The idiot destroyed a whole battle group worth of cruisers and got most of their crews killed!"

"Peace, General! We've discussed the issue before. He will be tried." Palpatine played the peacekeeper. "Once the situation has been properly investigated of course. We can't afford a miscarriage of justice after all."

"Of course, Chancellor." Valentra nodded.

I wondered what game Palpy was playing. If I was him, I would ensure that Skywalker gets broken by the trial, left without any support, before I swooped to the rescue. Not to mention, that it would be a great opportunity to practically destroy what reputation the Order had left.

Apparently, Anakin was chosen to destroy the Jedi Order one way or another. Talk about misunderstood prophecies...


	77. Interlude: Various

****AN: This chapter was betaed by Zoe Walker on FF. Net. Thank you very much!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Interlude: Palpatine**

**Chancellor's apartments **

**Location Classified**

**Coruscant**

Sheev Palpatine fell back into the reasonably comfortable couch in the living room of his temporarily home and sighed.

He was in quite the precarious situation and he wasn't entirely sure how he got there. The only thing he was sure about was that Veil had a lot to do with it.

The Lord of the Sith had miscalculated. Misjudged that man, believing him to be a bold fool, claiming a title that he couldn't have possibly earned. Oh, the man was dark all right. He could sense it clearly.

That didn't make him a Sith. Just a particularly resourceful Dark Jedi at best.

Or so Palpatine thought.

There were small clues that he disregarded, that he refused to believe.

Sidious sighed again. Sheer arrogance on his part, that was to blame. He could admit that much. After all, there simply couldn't be another Lord of the Sith. Not after he murdered Plageius all those years ago.

For a thousand years there were only two Sith – a master and an apprentice. That was something he never thought to doubt. Oh, they had a few Dark Jedi as minions. From time to time those servants were even allowed to think themselves Sith, when that was useful of course.

It was a convinient delusion, keeping them motivated until the time to dispose of them came.

The truth remained unchanged. Two Sith.

After he went through the reports of the space battle above Geonosis, that wasn't something he would bet on.

For someone with the intimate knowledge of the Force like Sidious, the reports were clear. Veil had used Battle Mediation on unprecedented scale – one only he might be able to match. Even if the man had been weakened in the aftermath, as one might expect, that spoke volumes about his raw power over the Force.

That was a very far cry from the presence he had felt during their few meetings.

The conclusion was simple, obvious. While Veil didn't cloak his presence in the Force as Sidious always did, the man suppressed his power, appearing significantly weaker than he really was. It was a good way to be considered a lesser threat. Then, there was the way he heralded himself as a Sith for all the Republic to hear.

In hindsight, that was anything but the madness that it had appeared at first. Sidious had assumed, along with most Jedi, that Veil was simply grandstanding – lying to enhance his reputation…

In this day and age a Sith simply wouldn't herald his allegiance. It simply wasn't done. It was a kriffing madness!

The sheer audacity almost made Sidious smile. It wasn't something that he had ever considered doing.

Veil being actually a Sith – well, that at least explained the man's success. What he was doing was similar to what Sidious himself might have gone for if he was in similar situation. After all, what Sith wouldn't take advantage of a convenient galactic war?

That didn't change the fact that Veil was a tiresome troublemaker, who was a big reason for Sidious' well crafted plans burning around him.

A deep frown marred Palpatine's face. Veil was dangerous, even if he could prove to be rather useful. Was he connected with the traitors within the Confederacy, who ensured that he was losing control of the war? Were those two problems unrelated? Dooku was investigating, though his agents were cut off on Geonosis with whatever evidence they managed to recover before Veil attacked the planet.

That was less than ideal considering that uprooting the conspiracy was proving unusually hard. For a Sith like his current apprentice, that shouldn't have been the case.

There was something deeper at work here.

For a moment Sidous' eyes flashed yellow in fury. There were too many unknowns. Too many things outside of his control and worse of all, his mask – Sheev Palpatine - was being kept under close guard after the attack on the Senate.

Even in his persona as a Chancellor he couldn't dispense with the protection the GAR gave him. Not after the attack on Coruscant was altered and used to shatter a copious amount of ground work.

A lot of generals and admirals who were his "friends" and protegees were dead. The same was true about most of his high ranking agents in the Intelligence services.

Now people were investigating, searching for separatist moles.

The Jedi too.

Keeping his real identity a secret was proving hard. He no longer could afford to simply cloud the minds or remove memories from people who saw something they shouldn't.

Not with the odd Jedi checking up his security on a daily basis, after Veil suggested it. To protect the Chancellor from Sith influence, the kriffing bastard had said.

The worst thing was that Sidious couldn't simply remove the latest thorn in his side. The remaining Senators loved the self-styled Sith. He had saved them after all and was turning the war around. Or least stalemating it now that the Separatists were going outside the script and actually trying to win.

The same was true for the public. For now at least. Palpatine was already working to subtly tarnish Veil's reputation. Once that was done, he would have more options in dealing with the man.

Sidious smirked at his old idea to simply have Veil killed. Now that he knew him to be a Sith, that simply wasn't going to work.

The smirk turned into a vicious smile. It was true that Sidious was bound by the trapping of the office he held as Palpatine. The same was true for Veil – the man was a general who had to follow any reasonable orders. He could be managed just like the Jedi.

That's why Sidious maneuvered events to remove the man from the board for the time being by sending him to deal with the Mandalorians.

It really didn't matter which side they joined. While Veil was busy dealing with them, Palpatine and Dooku would retake control over the Confederacy and start properly managing both sides of the war.

After all, the ideal trap for Jedi worked as well for Sith – usually keeping them busy away from the most important areas was enough.

One question remained – could Veil become a good apprentice or was he simply a threat that must be removed when he was no longer particularly useful? At least recent events almost guaranteed that Anakin would fall under Sidious' influence sooner than planned.

At any rate, Palpatine was going to have his hands full. It would be refreshing not to have Veil messing things up.

**=RK=**

**Interlude: The Hound**

****Objective Alpha 3 (Ar'Klorg'Onya Cave Complex)****

**Fifteen Kilometers from Objective Alpha 1**

**Geonosis**

"Keep at it men, we're almost there!" The Jedi shouted.

The tall man was in the lead – deflecting a hail of blaster bolts and sonic blasts – and generally keeping the enemy fire concentrated on himself.

Behind the mobile shield wall that was Master Mundi, Hound and his platoon were dashing from cover to cover, slowing down only to sent accurate bursts into the mass of enemy trying to stop them short from the prize. Despite their fanatical resistance, the Confederate forces protecting the HUB were slowly pushed back. Blasters, explosives and even flame throwers were used to clear any strong-point.

The Jedi led the way, blunting the enemy fire and allowing the Clones to uproot the enemy much faster and cheaper than it would have been possible otherwise.

"NOW!" Mundi shouted.

A pair of clones carrying missile launchers sprinted behind him, aimed and let lose. Two unguided rockets screamed down the tunnel and slammed into the bunker at its end. The first missed the firing port, gorging a deep crater in the durasteel. The second flew true and blew up inside – painting the walls of the bunker with its defenders.

"We're almost there! Press on!" Mundi ordered as he charged. "Grenades around the corner"

Hound sprinted after his commander and threw a frag, followed by a concussion grenade. Mundi didn't even slow down and simply waded through the pieces of shattered stone and shrapnel that flew around the corner. The sergeant followed suit and almost froze in his tracks.

They were almost atop of their objective.

There was a short corridor, which widened into a vast chamber. In the far end he could see it lowering down in what appeared to be a huge tram station.

There was a half kilometer between the HUB itself and the corridor… It was chock full with droids, locals, weapon emplacements and a platoon of kriffing tanks.

They were all aiming at the crazy Jedi, who was charging them with nothing more than his lightsaber.

Fortunately, Hound's training kicked in, not letting him freeze in place and die without doing a thing. The sergeant dashed until he was outside the corridor and jumped, landing in a prone position.

To his utter astonishment, the Confeds haven't yet opened fire. In fact, the droids had frozen where they stood.

The locals on other hand were busy shooting for all they were worth, though it was too late. With a mighty leap, Mundi jumped over the first row of barricades and landed amid the enemy.

Then the ceiling above the Confed position blew up, showering everyone with debris. Concussion grenades followed and once they detonated, Clones in medium and heavy armor started rappelling down.

Hound grinned inside his helmet while he took pot-shots at the stunned locals. While the timing might have been a bit better, the two pronged attack crushed the enemy resistance between his platoon and the soldiers striking from above.

It appeared that Adi Mundi wasn't as crazy as he appeared. Further, the Jedi had done all he could to keep Hound and his men intact, including ordering a liberal use of flame-throwers to clean up tunnels and bunkers.

Perhaps there were a few decent Jedi after all.

**=RK=**

**Interlude: The Captain**

**Second Platoon**

**Delta Company**

**91st Cavalry Battalion**

**Ten kilometers from Objective Beta**

**Geonosis**

Even Veers had to admit that the Caamasi heavy tanks were a joy to drive and command.

The seventy tons of armor and guns that were wrapped around him were a far cry from the Republic light tanks he was experienced with. First, the LC-55 was a treaded machine, no repulsors. While that reduced its speed and maneuverability, it allowed the monsters to pass unimpeded through shields.

What the machine lost in agility, was more than made up by slabs of capital ship grade armor and powerful deflector shield. Further, the tank had various active and passive defensive systems – both AM and anti infantry, not to mention an AA turret and quad AA missiles mounted on top the cupola.

Further, the Lancer as it was known, handled almost as good as its lighter brethren. It's only problem was the hefty price tag – you could buy three and a half of the walkers that were the GAR's mainstay armor/troop carrier hybrid for every single Lancer… On the other hand, a single LC-55 was a match for at least quartet of those machines.

Maximillian smiled when his tank passed through the shield bubble keeping the enemy safe. A combination of enhanced smoke and Ion strikes had rendered the Seps nearly blind and allowed two tank regiments to close into effective range reasonably unscratched.

The integrated sensor and command systems gave him a perfect view of the surrounding area. All detected threats were highlighted on the HUD display of his helmet, prioritizing enemy tanks and heavy weapon emplacements.

Veers' company already had their standing orders - that left him with commanding his tank and keeping track of the overall situation. He had already designated priority targets and a destination for the gunner and driver to follow and was looking over the overall situation. The latter was made particularly easy by the network integration and data sharing between the tanks within the AO, giving every tank commander an unprecedented situation awareness.

That system by itself was priceless for all GAR armored units and Veers would be doing his best to see it adopted by the army. He was sure that once the General had time to go over his reports he would agree.

The tank shuddered lightly as its heavy canon started speaking. Every two seconds a heavy particle bolt slammed into an enemy tank, eviscerating it, or blasted a HWP to scrap.

Two Confed tanks acquired them, making the threat warning system scream in distress. The driver slammed a foot on the brakes and sent the Lancer skidding over the rocky ground. One enemy shot missed and a second splashed over the shield.

The turret turned to the right and the gunner put a shot through the closest enemy's sloped sides, killing it. Before the main gun could cycle, he sent one of the handful of AT missiles the Lancer carried into the side of the second enemy tank. The plasma warhead slagged half the machine and turned the surrounding sandy ground into molten glass.

For a moment Veers wondered if he could get away from stealing this tank for his personal use, but then orders came from the battalion commander – the first enemy line of defense was breached and they were to strike the next.

Maximilian's orders scowled down his HUD. Delta Company was to secure the flank until the next echelon arrived to relieve them and then rejoin the rest of the battalion. He sent the affirmative and started issuing orders. There was this nice ridge two kilometers to the east that would provide some cover from enemy arty and give his tank nice firing lanes.

**=RK=**

**Interlude: The Jedi Master**

****Objective Alpha 3 (Ar'Klorg'Onya Cave Complex)****

**Fifteen Kilometers from Objective Alpha 1**

****Geonosis****

Shaak Ti surveyed her handiwork. The infusion of two battalions led by Force Adepts had shattered the enemy resistance above the HUB. Once the upper levels were reasonably secure, the Combat Engineers started drilling and blowing their way straight down, until they made a nice new assault path. Thanks to that, Shaak Ti was able to drop on the unsuspecting enemy, who was distracted by the leading elements of the original assault force.

After that it was all over but the screaming.

The fact that a lot of the droids in the area simply shut down was a great boon too, but even if all of them were operational, the ultimate outcome would have been the same – simply more expensive in lives paid to secure the objective.

Squads of clones were busy either trashing inactive droids – just in case - or rounding up the few locals who had the sense to surrender. Most had fought to to the death in a fanatical attempt to prevent the capture of the HUB.

She understood their reasoning – with this transportation center captured, the locals would be doomed. They had to reinforce all places that could be reached through it and reroute any shipment that would have usually pass through this place. The conservative estimates were that the enemy logistics in this hemisphere of Geonosis were now crippled.

The Togruta simply watched what was going on, deep in her own thoughts.

Some time during the final assault of the HUB she had received new orders from the Council, which were transmitted to her once the place was more or less secure.

She was to return to Kamino and continue her old work of training the Clones.

There was no explanation. Nothing vague – she was to take the first available transport to Republic space and made her way to Kamino ASAP.

Shaak Ti clutched her hands into fists. The Council knew that something had happened over here. The Jedi Master didn't believe that they suspected about her indiscretion with Delkatar, but she assumed that they didn't want to take any chances.

If the orders were from someone else, she could have protested.

Ti wasn't ready to go against Yoda, who apparently was backed by most of the council bare those who were on Geonosis and few others currently out of contact.

She served the Jedi and the Republic. That was her duty, so being sent back to continue her original mission should have been something ordinary.

Instead the orders made her furious. Shaak Ti needed to know where she and Veil stood. She needed his assistance to keep her head straight until she learned how to properly handle her emotions now that she no longer suppressed them.

The Jedi Master simply wasn't ready to go back to business as usual. More importantly, she didn't want to!

**=RK=**

**Interlude: A Mandalorian and her daemons**

**Brox's Bar**

**Mandalore**

Bo-Katan was siting within a secluded corner of one of the more respectable bars in the capital of her people. She was leaning over her helmet and nursing her… Second bottle of Corellian Brandy… Huh. It might be the third?

Nah. The first one was Ale. She was pretty sure about that.

It was quite good too.

She was confused. Torn.

She had reviewed all actions of the Death Watch she knew about. Some she found during her search for information too.

There were a lot that didn't conform to her views of what a proud Mandalorian warrior should be doing.

Petty crime, drug deals, extortion, casual piracy.

It was supposed to be for the betterment of the Mandalorian people. .. Right?

Bo-Katan had trouble seeing how a lot of what her organization was doing would benefit the average Mandalorian.

One the other hand – the members of the Death Watch were the biggest concentration of warriors that her people had left. Too many were chasing other, more peaceful professions. On the face of it, that wasn't a problem… if they kept up with their training, which was no longer the case for most Mandalorians.

Her people were slowly becoming decadent. Weak.

Only the Death Watch had the fire, the sheer determination and raw strength needed to effect a positive change. At least that was what she used to believe until her mission to Ryloth.

There she met Veil – a man who proved to her that even if the Republic was a corrupt relic from a bygone age, it still had powerful people trying to change it.

Even if in the irony of ironies, he was a Sith. That at least wasn't something she could doubt. Even if most of the galaxy had chosen to forgot, the Mandalorians in general and the Death Watch in particular hadn't. They remembered. They taught their people about the past. About the Sith among others.

Bo-Katan knew the real thing when he bested her in combat.

That made her feel alive. He was a challenge to be conquered – something she was going to enjoy doing when they met again.

Thinking about the Sith didn't help her with her issues. It merely made them worse.

A Confederation delegation was to arrive tomorrow. Bo-Katan knew that her sister would never accept being on their side. Bo knew the girl well enough – she would continue to maintain the neutrality that had been a staple for their people in the last few decades.

Bo-Katan could feel it. That wasn't going to be possible for much longer. The war was escalating, spreading. While the Confed atrocities did throw a lot of systems into the hands of the Republic… there were people who actually approved. Like the Hutt Cartels. Like the Exchange and Black Sun.

There were small empires on the fringes of known space who had reason to despise the Republic. Various warlike species who saw the Confederacy stunts as show of strength to be admired.

Then there was the Death Watch, who wanted to take a part in the war – they were dreaming for the good old days when they conquered the galaxy as allies of the Sith Empire. It had been a glorious age… until the empire fell to inner fighting and the Republic started recovering her territories.

At least that's what all the chronicles said.

This time, there were Sith on both sides of the war… and the Republic was no longer losing the war. Bo-Katan had seen the reports. After the crushing victory in space above Geonosis – a victory that would be showering Veil with glory for a long time to come – the war was officially stalemated. That was the conclusion of all analysts both withing the Death Watch and the Mandalorian government.

Choosing a side was no longer simple as backing the clear winner.

Bo-Katan drained her glass and poured another. Despite all the alcohol in her veins, her hands were still steady. Her mind wasn't totally clouded yet either.

She slumped over her helmet. She wasn't drunk enough yet.

Veil would be coming soon – once he mopped up the enemy on Geonosis. He would come covered in glory, with the most dangerous weapon of them all – a crushing victory.

That very thought both excited and scared her.

Bo-Katan downed her glass and stared at the half-empty bottle.

Her comrades were unlikely to back someone who worked with the Jedi. They remembered the Mandalorian Wars and everything that came after them. For the thousands of years the Jedi and the Republic were the enemy. Many would jump at the chance to fight the old adversaries once again.

Others would be drawn to Veil.

She didn't know what to do. She didn't know who she would back when the time finally ran out.

The one thing Bo-Katan was sure about was that a storm was coming and it was going to tear Mandalore apart. She sighed and grabbed the bottle. Barring a miracle, another civil war was in the future of her people.


	78. Chapter 23 Parts 1&2

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 23: Politics, Mando style**

**=RK=**

**Part 1**

**Republic Medical Station Sierra-51**

**Location Classified**

"You want to talk here and now?" Obi-Wan groaned. The Jedi shuddered in the cool air – the thin robe he wore after leaving the nearby fresher apparently wasn't good enough for the cool atmosphere in the station.

"It's reasonably secure." I shrugged and waved at the rolls of bacta tanks around us. Most of them were empty – this compartment was usually designated for high ranking officers and was in the most secure part of the station."It's not like the patients here are particularly talkative as you very well know."

Kenobi gave me a flat look and continued toweling his hair and beard.

"What exactly happened before I awoke as canned food?" The Jedi grumbled.

"You got shot. Or blown up. Perhaps both. I didn't pay much attention after the docs told me that you'll be up and running shortly. We've got another mission."

"What happened on Geonosis?"

"We got the job done with acceptable casualties. Your apprentice is still recovering in a bacta tank and has a trial waiting for him when he recovers. Oh, yeah. Once we talk with a bunch of spooks we're leaving for Mandalore."

"Start explaining." Obi-Wan sounded less than pleased. He was actually pretty grumpy or so the Force told me.

"Anakin's stunts finally caught up to him and it's time to pay the price. While the military police investigates his latest stunt he's grounded. I might be able to arrange a home arrest for him, somewhere with his wife if she recovers. Padme might be able to keep him out of any further trouble until the trial and he isn't dodging the bullet this time." I pointed at a small cargo crate that was next to the bacta tank Kenobi vacated a few minutes ago. "Your lightsaber and spare robes are in there."

"Thanks." The Jedi muttered. "How's senator Amidala?"

"Padme's still unconscious though there's some progress in purging her system of the poison. Unless there're complications she might awake sometime in the next couple of weeks. As for her mental condition..." I trailed off. That was fifty fifty at best.

"I see. I hope she recovers. What are we supposed to do on Mandalore?" Kenobi asked. He let the damp towel fall to the deck, opened the cargo crate and started pulling the pieces of his robes.

"Convince the Mandalorians to side with us in the war. The CIS already sent a delegation there and they will arrive a couple of days ahead of us."

"There's no way the New Mandalorians would side with the Confederacy!" Obi-Wan exclaimed.

"Your girlfriend might be against it, but she's not their absolute ruler." Kenobi spluttered a denial, however I ignored him and continued speaking. "I've heard rumors that the Dead Watch will try seizing up power if the Mandalorian leadership decides to remain neutral or sides with us. Do I need to remind you that Kryze and her supporters don't have monopoly of military power on Mandalore? Unless you've been a busy boy and helped that delectable Duchess?" I smirked.

"That's… We're just friends! That's all!" Kenobi groaned.

"With benefits?" I smiled at the man. Jedi – they were so easy to rile up.

"Veil! Enough! How do you know about her anyway?"

"I read all my intelligence briefings, then request more and expanded ones? Why wouldn't I be keeping an eye on the neutral policies which might join either side? How am I supposed to make realistic contingency plans otherwise?" I asked in confusion. That should have been obvious.

Obi-Wan gave me a long-suffered look and shook his head. "What did you want to talk about anyway?"

"Ahsoka." I said and pointed at on of the few occupied bacta tanks in the room.

Kenobi looked up and frowned. The little Togruta was floating in a bacta tank. She was mostly hidden by multiple tubes which were feeding her oxygen, medicaments and food.

"What happened?"

"She got unlucky. There were multiple tunnel exits near her target and Asoka's unit ran into an enemy battalion that was redeploying. They managed to get the job done and seal the tunnels before being overran, however they suffered more than ninety percent casualties. The kid did good."

"Why's she here instead back on Coruscant on one of the bases closer to Geonosis?" Kenobi frowned. "My presence is clear, the powers that be want me on the negotiating party to Mandalore."

"Good question. What do you think would happen to her if your precious Council gets their hands on her, hm?"

"Master Yoda has been cleaning up house and getting our affairs in order after the last fiasco." Obi-Wan didn't bite.

"Catch." I pulled out a data-pad from my robes and threw it at him.

He caught it without looking. It was good to see that his wounds and a week long dip in the bacta hadn't dulled his reflexes. While Jedi read through the contents a deep frown appeared on his face.

"I see. This is your fault." He grumbled and threw the pad back at me.

"That's not fair! I share the blame with Anakin! He's her master. We'll was. I don't think that either the Jedi or the army would trust him with a gold fish, much less an apprentice."

"Probably. She deserves better. That still doesn't explain why she's here. What's a gold fish anyway?" Kenobi muttered and started changing in his Jedi robes.

"Well, it's a fish with gold coloration. It was a popular pet back on my homeworld… I think. It's been very long time since I was there." I paused. Hell, I don't think I ever thought about Earth in months… I shook my head. It wasn't like I would be able to visit in a long, long time if ever. "I pulled rank. The as you say, the kid deserves better. When she awakes, I'll give Ahsoka a choice – she can go to the agri-corps if she wants or she can continue to be an officer. If the Council has any problems with that they can take it up with me."

"They won't like that. Corrupting the young now, aren't you?" Obi-Wan joked.

"I'm in older Togrutas." I deadpanned.

"Don't let Master Ti hear you."

"Oh, she's very well aware of my preferences." I smirked.

Something in my tone made Obi-Wan turn around and stare at me. "No way. She's a respectable Jedi Master and then there's you." He pointed at me. "Even if you weren't a Sith, there's now way..."

I gave him a smug grin.

"Is there something that you aren't trying to corrupt?!"

"Only delectable women. Why the hell I would want to corrupt anyone else?"

"I'm on painkillers or something. Right? Where is Master Ti? I expected that your minder would be around?"

"Me too. I have nothing against Shaak Ti closely examining me. However your fellow council members had the bright idea that I might be a bad influence and ordered her back to Kamino."

"I agree with them." Kenobi nodded sagely. "We can't have you distracted, o glorious leader."

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"What's the plan anyway?"

"When Pellaeon and the spook they sent to brief us finish their steam reunion, we're getting an intelligence briefing and leaving for Mandalore. I have to give it to the man, arranging his girlfriend to come brief is was a slick move."

"Jealous?"

"My prospective girlfriend is traveling to Kamino as we speak. What do you think?"

"I still don't believe it."

"Even if I had any evidence that I could produce, Shaak Ti would neuter me if I did so."

"True enough. She'll do it anyway. Tarnishing her reputation isn't the smartest thing you've done."

"You aren't protesting."

"No. I'm just leaving you to dig up your own grave."

**=RK=**

**Part 2**

**Republic Medical Station Sierra-51**

**Location Classified**

"Great! Finally we're all here!" I beamed at the other people, who were stuck in a small conference room with me.

Commodore Pellaeon, his girlfriend Helena – the RI agent we were here to meet among other things, Kenobi and myself. Thanks to some kind of meddling in the Senate, neither Organa or Iblis were going to head the diplomatic party to Mandalore. Thanks to my "good friend", the Chancellor, I had the distinct "honor" of doing so myself, instead of another senator. So whatever kriffing disaster was cooking on Mandalore would be my fault – I had no doubt about that. Joy.

We were stuck in a bland small room, which had a round table in the middle. There were twelve chairs set up around it, a built in holoprojector and that was it. At least the place was nicely lit up.

"If you two are done for the moment," I raised an eyebrow at Pellaeon, who for once was looking rather disheveled, "Agent Devis could start briefing us."

"You're about to get kriffed in a way you won't enjoy." Helena deadpanned.

"Yes, apparently that's the plan. The lack of any diplomatic personnel arriving with you and the missive I got from the Chancellor's office just before we docked were enough of a clue."

"You didn't mention any of that." Obi-Wan shot me an accusing look.

"I'm mentioning it now." I shrugged. "I'll be the Republic negotiator for our visit with you acting as my aide. No senators or diplomatic staff besides whoever we'll be able to poach from the embassy. At least the ambassador might be of some help."

"No diplomatic staff. We're being set up to fail." Kenobi looked less than pleased as he stated the obvious.

"Well, there're a some senators who actually studied history." Devis rolled her eyes. "They apparently aren't too thrilled with getting the Mandalorians rearmed or on our side. They fear a betrayal. After all, historically they have been enemies of the Republic."

"They were my people allies too."

"That's another point against them." The Intelligence agent glared at me. I wasn't sure if it was because I was a Sith or because I cut her reunion with Pellaeon short. Probably a bit of both.

"It's also something I might be able to work with." I smiled.

"The idea's for the Mandalorians to make an alliance with the Republic, not with you." Obi-Wan added in a dry voice.

"Why not both?" I grinned.

"What did you do?" The Jedi Master narrowed his eyes at me.

"Nothing. Yet." I spoke with as much innocence as I could.

No one was buying it.

"This is going to be a disaster." Obi-Wan groaned.

"That remains to be seen. You have a briefing for us, Agent Devis. Let's get it done so you two lovebirds could return to cuddling or whatever adult things you were doing. Just don't speak about it in front of the Jedi or you'll shock the poor sod."

"I'm not a virgin, you know." Kenobi deadpanned.

"That's a shocking discovery. Do the rest of the Jedi know or did you just handle me a lot of blackmail material?"

"You're supposed to be a general. Act like it!" Obi-Wan groaned.

"Sure enough. Start briefing us." I waved at the RI woman.

Helena sighed, gave a sharp nod and put her professional face on.

"The tensions between the New Mandalorians, who are currently ruling on Mandalore and their main opposition – the Death Watch, are about to explode. Even without the CIS' delegation arriving and pressuring the legitimate government, Mandalore is on the brink of a civil war. Unless the situation is handled very carefully we might be the spark that's needed for the sector to go up in flames."

"That's not necessary a bad thing – the only thing that really matter is that the Mandalorians remain neutral, join us or are crippled to the point that they are no longer a threat."

Three pairs of eyes stared at me. Two of them then nodded, while Obi-Wan glared daggers at me.

"Those are the acceptable outcomes of our visit, yes." Helena nodded and earned herself a dirty look from Kenobi.

"What do we know about the CIS delegation, their agents in place and game plan?" Pellaeon asked.

"Admiral Dua Ningo will be negotiating for the Separatists."

"Well. He's one of the few who might pull it off." I mussed aloud. "The bastard came close to making it a Pyrrhic victory above Geonosis. The Mandalorian clan leaders are likely to respect him."

"That's our reading as well. Besides the above board negotiation, we know that the CIS has been heavily investing in the Death Watch. That's the main reason we believe that a favorable outcome is unlikely. They aren't particularly big fans of the Republic." Helena added.

"I have a contact who might be useful."

"That's good. We lost contact with our last agent in the Death Watch a week ago. They're the greatest threat for our interests on Mandalore. Duchess Kryze is a friend of the republic, however the New mandalorian movement she's a part of doesn't have the political clout to forge an alliance with us without support from the opposition."

"Not to mention that she's against any Mandalorian military adventures." I added. That was a public knowledge and the main reason her sister was royally pissed off at her. "Let's be frank – no matter the public face the New Mandalorians have been putting ever since their raise to power, the Mandalorians remain a warrior cultures. The Duchess' policies haven't exactly won the hearts of the majority of the population, merely of the largest cohesive block and the Death Watch are close second."

"You're certainly well informed." Helena nodded. "That's essentially correct."

I shrugged. I did my homework. After all, Mandalore had been on my to do list for months.

"What do you plan?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Forge an alliance with your girlfriend or play kingmaker." I shrugged. "I've changed a government or two back back in the good old days."

It was time to see which way Bo-Katan was going to jump.


	79. Chapter 23 Parts 3&4

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 23: Politics, Mando style**

**=RK=**

**Part 3**

**Senate Chambers**

**Senate building**

**Coruscant**

"My friends, it's good to see you all here once again!" Palpatine smiled from atop of the Chancellor's personal platform. His eyes swept through the rebuilt senate chamber and lowered as they passed over booths filled up by fresh blood. The attack on the Senate had hit his power-base particularly hard, however it had culled the one thousand five hundred "neutral" systems alliance put in place by Amidala and her closest supporters.

With his homeworld's Senator out of the way for the time being, Palpatine found it much easier to push forward his agenda. The fact that the surviving senators were scared helped a lot too, he had to admit that. Who knew that the attacks that scattered his plan to the winds, would prove actually useful in many aspects?

Palpatine schooled his expression into a grim mask.

"With everything that has happened, it's hard to believe that the war has gone for a year. We – the Republic and her people – had been dealt many low blows since the Separatist unveiled their true colors – those of merciless terrorists." Sidious paused for a moment. His expression shifted into one of a grim determination and he started radiating confidence. "They thought that attacking Coruscant – the heart of the Republic itself with biological weapons would break us. That striking this very building and murdering scores of Senators whose only crime was to doing their duty for the betterment of us all would terrify us into surrender! My friends, they were MISTAKEN!" Palpatine raised his voice to a shout in order to be heard over the applause from the attending Senators.

"There are many questions that need answering. How did we get here? What are we going to do now? How are we going to win this war? I'm here to answer them all!" Sidious made a placating gesture and smiled. Feeling the near adulation of the people present in the chambers wars close to intoxicating. Almost as good as feeling fear and misery.

"In the wake of the latest enemy attacks, there were those who called for surrender. Those who believed that we were losing the war..." Palpatine paused for a dramatic effect. "The latter group was right." He stated grimly and lowered his head. The Sith Lord had to struggle not to smile. The cries of protest and fear that followed his declaration were delicious and just as planned.

"Peace my friends! I promised you all answers and I'm here to deliver!" Palpatine raised a hand and waited for the cacophony to subdue. He had their undivided attention. "Until our armed forces decisive victories over Ryloth and Geonosis, we were losing. That much is true – a fact that none of us can afford to disregard. We were pushed back on all fronts and the sectors we held – they were protected at the price of rivers of blood." Smile tugged the corners of Palpatine's mouth as he reveled at the rapt attention of the crowd. "That's no longer the case! For the first time since the Separatists began this conflict we aren't under the immediate threat of destruction. Our Grand Army was finally able to stalemate the enemy on all fronts!"

This time there were a few relieved cheers and shouts.

"However, that's far from enough. Now that we know the true face of the enemy – that of oppression, slavery and murder – we can't do anything less but push for total defeat of the evil cabal that is the Confederacy of Independent Systems!"

Sidious smiled as the majority of senators started applauding.

"In order to achieve victory and never again be at the non-existent mercy of our enemies, the brave men and women in our armed forces need our help! They need more ships, vehicles, weapons and recruits in order to grant us victory! To guarantee that no more atrocities like Ryloth, Naboo and Coruscant happen! To achieve that, my advisers, our best generals and myself had crafted a bill that is vital for the further prosecution of this war. It requires the further expansions of our Clone Army" - making the Kaminoans and their lobby happy, "increasing production in all our major shipyards and increasing their capacity" - something that the Senator from Kuat and the other major industrial centers would simply love, "and providing our soldiers with the best possible equipment in more than enough quantity to win!" The various military contractors would be ecstatic at that too.

This time almost everyone was either cheering loud or applauding. Palpatine took a note of those who weren't – all but a few were the surviving members of Amidala's little club, but there were a handful of new Senators as well.

"Finally, but most importantly – it's time for us all to raise to the challenge of protecting our homes! All the best weapons and ships in the galaxy will be useless if there aren't brave beings ready to man them and face the evil that the GAR is fighting as we speak! We, the Republic, are the greatest nation this galaxy has ever seen! It's time for us to step up and prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt!"

Sidious paused for a moment and took a deep breath. He could feel it. The Senators would support the next round of bills and reforms, witlessly expand his power base and bring their precious Republic a step closer to becoming his Empire. When all was said and done, he was poised to emerge from the latest round of cluster kriffing disasters in a much better position he would have held otherwise.

The only problem would be the Jedi – an army which wasn't mostly made up from clones would hesitate when the time to dispose of them came. However even in that regard, all was not lost. The Jedi, their Council in particular were doing a great job of destroying their public support and credibility. Sidious was going to help them along once the Skywalker trial started.

**=RK=**

**Part 4**

**CIC**

**Republic cruiser Chimera**

**Five light seconds from Mandalore**

We reverted to real space with barely a shudder. Moments later, the rest of the battle-group materialized around us and maneuvered to create an armored glove around the flag ship.

A few seconds later the tactical plot refreshed and displayed the surrounding space. There were a lot of ships. CIS ships.

"Separatists fleet elements detected. Designating Hostile One." The tactical officer announced aloud.

A cluster of dots between Mandalore and its moon Concordia shifted from the gray of unknown to the deep red reserved for hostiles. Other dots were changing color too – some in clusters, other by themselves. There were three cruiser battle-groups in blue – the Mandalorian defense fleet units we could detect.

"Sir, one of those flotilas shows Death Watch IFF." The sensor officer declared.

"Designate them as potential hostiles. Give me better resolution on those CIS ships."

One of the blue groups – that above Concordia shifted into amber.

"One battleship. One command frigate, twelve standard Munificents." Tactical announced.

"That's thirty one potentially friendly Mando cruisers, nine hostile and the Separatists." Pellaeon stated. "That we can detect anyway. Unless all of our hosts turn on us or the CIS drops another fleet we should be all right. You have a trick or two up your sleeve, right?" The Commodore looked at me.

"Of course. I'm not seeing any battlestations. Only a ring of defense satellites."

"The Mandalorians never rebuild them after their civil war."

"Sloppy, unless they lacked the resources?" I thought aloud.

"Pacifists. At least they tried very hard to appear as such." Helena shrugged.

"That wasn't a trick!" Obi-Wan snapped.

"No need to defend your girlfriend yet."

"Commodore, hail our hosts. No matter what they demand, don't let them box in our ships while we're planetside."

"Not happening, sir. There're a lot of the bastards, but nothing that would relish facing five of our cruisers."

"Good. We aren't here to play games."

**=RK=**

**Sundari**

**Mandalore**

The capital wasn't anything like I remember. In fact the whole desert in which the biome city was situated was a forest the last time I was here. At least it was more or less in the same place, though the semi-sphere of gray metal encompasing the metropolis was a far cry from the sprawling skyscrapers and suburbs I remembered. Apparently the Mandalorians had managed to trash the place while I was in a time-out.

When the assault shuttle that brought us down landed, we were met by a pair of honor guards in blue ceremonial armors. They were armed with force-pikes and nothing else. I hoped for their sakes that their garb was made of beskin.

Our greeting comitee didn't bode well for the negotiations. Sending just those two to meet us was a slight – a show of disrespect that would have pissed off most Senators.

"That's not the proper way to meet a diplomatic party, which is here to discuss an alliance." Helena muttered.

"Oh, it is if the party is representing the Republic." I quipped. During the cold war, the Republic did try to sunder our alliance with the Mandalorians. While that didn't work too well for them, it was amusing to watch how much fun the locals had in subtly snubbing the diplomatic parties, especially if there were Jedi present.

"You expected something like this." Kenobi glanced at me.

"Yep. It tells us that the Duchess is in even weaker position that we were led to believe. Unless you pissed her off the last time you were together and this is for your benefit?" I asked.

"We separated on amikable terms." Obi-Wan glared at me.

"This way." One of the honor guards waved towards a pair of speeders – which were more cargo platforms than anything else.

"Let's hope that there aren't snipers waiting for us."

**=RK=**

We spent our flight through the city in silence. I was busy observing the place. As cities go – it was a nice one. Tasteful buildings, a lot of hydrophonic farms and parks. More importantly – the place was chock full with statues and murals depicting the good old warrior days. So much for the New Mandalorians speaking about the majority of the locals. If they really were all pacifists, the works of art we could see wouldn't be glorifying the warrior ways of their ancestors. Most telling was the fact that from the dozens of statues we saw, not a single one was what you could call a peaceful one even if you squinted very hard.

That was good. I would have been sorely dissapointed to find out that the civil war had castrated the Mandalorians and turned them all into pacifists.

The government building we arrived at was a beautiful work of art – a breathtaking amalgmation of crystal and metal, lined up with statues.

It was also a security nightmare.

A single man met us at the landing pad. He was about one ninety, short blond hair and a bit of beard under his chin. Long face, halkish nose and piercing purple eyes.

"General Veil, General Kenobi. It's good to see you. I'm Prime Minister Alamec. Please follow me. The Duchess is expecting you."

"Minister." I nodded. "Have your Separatist guest made you an offer you can't refuse yet?"

"That's something you need to discuss with Duchess Satine."

"Oh, we will. We were supposed to meet the Republic ambassador here."

"She hasn't arrived yet. The Duchess requests your presence immediately."

I shrugged and waved him to lead. This wasn't smelling like a trap. Yet.

A few minutes later we were led into a large audience chamber. The Duchess was waiting for us on an ornamental throne at the far end. The only other person present was an unassuming man in dark purple robes.

I raised an eyebrow at her. Satine Kryze looked nothing like her sister. She wore a deep blue and green dress. An ornamental head-dress covered most of her head and forehead. Her blond hair was bound by six strange… things on each side of her head. She looked rather down too, at least until she saw Obi-Wan. That apparently perked her up and she stood up to greet us.

I looked around. No sight of guards. Just the Duchess, her Prime Minister and a man I assumed to be an adviser. This was going to be an interesting meeting.


	80. Chapter 23 Parts 5&6

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 23: Politics, Mando style**

**=RK=**

**Part 5**

**Audience Chamber**

**Sundari Royal Palace**

**Sundari**

**Mandalore**

For a few moments I actually considered being unusually diplomatic, but the I decided to cut to the chase. In the end, unless Satine decided to change her policies to hundred and eighty degrees, she wasn't the person I really needed to talk to.

"Curious. All the briefings about the situation on Mandalore I got didn't mention that your government is this desperate." I smiled at the Duchess. I earned myself a lot of glares too, from practically everyone but Helena, who simply rolled her eyes at my antics.

"What makes you think that we're desperate?" Satine asked.

I waved at the empty chamber around us.

"This isn't an official meeting. I hope so anyway. If this is all the support you have, I'm obviously talking with the wrong person."

"It's unofficial." The Prime Minister stated quietly. "With whom would you talk if not us? The Death Watch are supporting an alliance with the CIS."

"You on the other hand wish to remain neutral. Am I right?"

"Of course. This isn't our war." Satine stated.

"Too bad. That's not an option." I smiled at her.

"What." Kenobi turned to face me.

"A Mandalorian neutrality is unacceptable for either side. Perhaps I shouldn't telling you that..." I smiled at the Duchess. "I'm to either ensure an alliance or remove the Mandalorians as players in this conflict. Sorry, Obi-Wan. That was need to know until we arrived." I shrugged.

"That's madness! The Republic would never condone..." The Duchess spluttered.

"Please. You can't be that naive. The Republic was ecstatic when you disarmed after your civil war." Helena added.

"Now that you might rearm and become a threat again..." I shrugged. "A lot of Senators remember on whose side Mandalore historically fought. The way we were sent here… It's obvious that there are parties that want an alliance between us to fail so you could be dealt with once and for all. Now let's not waste each others time, Duchess. Let's talk realpolitik."

"Excuse us for a moment." Kenobi smiled at Satine, grabbed my hand and pulled me away.

"Veil!" He hissed. "What's your major malfunction?!" The Jedi Glared at me.

"Did I fail to mention my precise instructions? It had something to do with who your girlfriend is. Divided loyalties and all that." I nodded at the Duchess who was busy whispering with her advisers.

"I'm not compromised! You on the other hand are insane!"

"Am I? I just cut to the chase. I don't know about you, but I don't have weeks or months to waste in negotiations that are likely useless. This whole thing – it shows that Satine is desperate. Not good for our position. So we're going with plan 'B'."

"What's that particular piece of insanity?"

"Throw the New Mandalorians under the airbus and make a deal with a faction that actually has backing and will support us in the war. If your girl plays her hand well, she might retain some power too."

"That's not why we're here."

"Please enlighten me. I'm just a poor old Sith." I gave him a deadpan look.

"Demented too. We're here to support the Mandalorian government and ensure an alliance with them." Obi-Wan glared at me.

"No. We're here to ally ourselves with a military power or make sure that Mandalore can't become a threat for the Republic in the future. That by itself tanks all that the New Mandalorians and your girlfriend stand for. Their platform is pacifism. Anything but continued neutrality isn't an acceptable alternative for them."

"For you that's a bad thing. Kriffing Sith." Kenobi growled.

"Not my idea, though I agree. Mandalore has to chose side or face a civil war. In either case, their vaulted neutrality is over."

"That's not what the Republic stands for!"

"It is now. The Separatists hit too close to home with their attacks on Naboo and Coruscant. This is no longer a war fought in the nebulous Outer Rim. It's a problem for the core and that will show to everyone the true face of the Republic."

"You don't really believe in it, do you? The Republic, democracy?"

"They're useful tools and I will support them until they fail." I smiled. I was telling the truth. From my point of view.

"I can't… I can't let Mandalore be consumed by this war." Obi-Wan's shoulders slumped.

"Do you have a miracle ready? There are many things arrayed against us. To the average Mandalorian, we – the Republic and the Jedi are the enemy. Me being a Sith is a mixed blessing at best and my alliance with you will be working against me."

"I'm a Jedi. In the end I will do what I believe to be right." Obi-Wan glared at me.

"I don't expect anything less, my friend." I smiled. "So I implore you, talk some sense in your girlfriend once we know what exactly we're dealing with."

"You're going to seek favor from either the Death Watch or another militaristic organization."

"As of the battle for Ryloth, the Death Watch was a bunch of thugs with just a few decent people in the ranks. They had obviously expanded their influence and membership. Massively so in fact."

"That bounty hunter friend of yours." Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah. Bo-Katan… Kryze." I chuckled and watched his eyes widen. "I have a few surprises ready. However, baring a miracle, Mandalore will be a battlefield before we're done here. Take care for your girlfriend. Let's see what our esteemed Duchess wants from us."

**=RK=**

**Part 6**

**Audience Chamber**

**Sundari Royal Palace**

**Sundari**

**Mandalore**

"Duchess. You wanted to talk. Please do so." I waved at Satine.

The Mandalorian woman glared at me for a long moment, then turned to Obi-Wan. "Master Kenobi, I want to formally request the aid of the Jedi Order in maintaining Mandalore's neutrality in this conflict."

I smiled. That was the only real card the New Mandalorians had to play unless they threw all they believed in away and chose a side.

"That's a strike two, Obi-Wan." I watched the man squirm. "Will there be a third way you're going to be compromised today? First she's your girlfriend." I stated aloud, making the Prime Minister and adviser gasp, while Kenobi glared at me. The Duchess was simply speechless at my accusation. That was definitely something that you didn't do at even an informal diplomatic meeting. It was too bad for everybody that I didn't have time to follow the usual rules of diplomacy. "Second, you just got placed in a position where your duties as a Jedi and a Republic general are at odds."

"Veil, just shut up for a moment." Kenobi growled and looked at the Duchess. "As a Jedi Master, I'm a peacekeeper… and a guardian of the Republic, of civilization. My duty is to preserve peace." He gave me a particularly dirty look. "However, Duchess Satine, my colleague who apparently had never heard about diplomacy, is correct. Unless there has been new and positive developments here on Mandalore, I don't see a way you can possibly maintain your neutrality. We've seen the true colors of the Separatists. They and any organization backing them, won't accept an alliance between our two states. They won't respect your neutrality either."

"We have the Death Watch firmly in hand." The Prime Minister stated. He sounded confident too.

"A few months ago, that was the case." I nodded. "After Ryloth they started getting droves of new recruits and a lot of popular support." I smiled. I did receive a few messages from Bo-Katan detailing the Death Watch situation, though I mentioned them to no one.

"That's an exaggeration at best." This was adviser.

"So most of your people aren't chaffing under the forced veneer of pacifism that your ruling party had been pushing down their throats ever since the civil war? You're honestly wanting me to believe that their warrior blood isn't boiling at the thought of joining in the greatest war in a thousand years?" I smiled.

"Of course not! We're enlightened, more mature people now! We all saw what war and the warrior ways brought us! Our warrior ways are just that – a relic of the past!" Satine snapped.

I was astounded.

"You actually believe that." I muttered.

"Of course I do!" Satine glared at me.

"You're no Mandalorian." I snapped back. How the hell did this woman rose to power on Mandalore I would never know.

"If you mean that I'm not a madwoman hellbent on conquering the galaxy and drowning it in blood after waging a senseless war, that's true. I'm proud of it."

At least she was a fierce little thing, even if she was an idealistic idiot. If she ever met Padme, those two would be best friends forever or something.

"That's something to be proud of." Kenobi nodded.

"In different situation it would be commendable." Helena added. "Here and now?" The agent shrugged.

"Even if Obi-Wan decides to throw away his commission as a Republic general and help you try achieving neutrality, it won't help neither you nor your people, Duchess. The Republic can't afford a neutral Mandalore that can later join the Separatists. When our official negotiations are over, Mandalore will either be our ally or removed as a potential threat. I'm sure that my CIS counterpart had already shared similar sentiments and he does support the Death Watch."

"Is this how the Republic conducts itself nowadays? Blackmailing neutral nations?" She sounded appailed. I have no doubt that she held a rather idealistic view of the Republic, one that didn't have much in common with reality even before the war.

"In the last year the galaxy changed, Duchess Satine. The Republic is fighting for its very survival against a monstrous enemy. We can no longer afford to be the nice guys. I did tell you that we'll be discussing realpolitik, didn't I? You have a choice to make, Duchess. Us or the Separatists." I shrugged.

Next to me, I could feel anger coiling around Obi-Wan and most of it was targeted at me.

"At this moment, I can't ally Mandalore with the Republic. It's a political impossibility that won't be supported by neither the New Mandalorians, the Death Watch nor the minor political powers."

"That's too bad. Then the best thing you can expect is a civil war in which both the Republic and the Separatists will intervene."

"Veil, enough with this charade." Obi-Wan hissed. "I know you well enough to see that you didn't come here just to antagonize the Duchess."

"Really? Well, she's everything I find wrong with this 'new' Mandalore, though you're correct. I'm not doing it just for fun."

"Delkatar!" Kenobi snapped.

"What? Unless your girlfriend is an idiot, she knows what has to happen. However, it will be a political suicide for her in particular and a death blow for her precious New Mandalorians."

Obi-Wan looked between me and Satine, then sighed. "I know where that's going."

The three Mandalorians looked at each other. The adviser gave Satine a subtle nod and the Prime Minister simply stared at her.

"We've already discussed it." Alamec stated.

"The _warriors..._" Satine spat the word, "Would never accept overtures from me. Most of them are too busy gathering behind the Death Watch."

With that attitude? Of course not.

"Then you know what your people need."

"A new Mandalore will be a disaster!" Satine snapped. "Besides, no one can become such without the mask, which is lost."

"Most of the warriors you dismiss, who apparently make a major part of your population see the Death Watch as their only viable alternative – a bunch of thugs of all things. If Mandalore is to avoid a civil war, they need another figure and a cause to rally behind."

"What do you propose, general Veil?" The Prime Minster asked. "They won't support the Duchess, nor a Republic General."

"No. There has been too much bad blood. We need to talk with the warriors who are still neutral, with the Clan heads who haven't yet thrown their power behind the Death Watch. With any fractions that might exist within the later and fine a viable alternative."

"Is that your plan – to turn my people back into bloodthirsty savages? What happens if this plan of yours fail?" Satine glared at me.

"Mandalore burns." I deadpanned. "If your people continue flocking to the Death Watch, they will become a bunch of murderous savages. That organization is nothing more than thugs that glorify a misunderstood past and you made it the only viable alternative for most warriors among your people." I glared back at the woman. Damn, I didn't think that I would meet someone who was more irritating than Padme.

"You've given me a lot to think about, _Sith_." She spat the last word. "This meeting is over. Prime Minister Alamec will ensure that you'll reach the Republic embassy without accident. Master Kenobi, if you will, may we talk," Satine gave me a pointed look, "privately."

"Ah. Sure. Lead the way, Duchess." Obi-Wan sent me a look promising retribution and followed Satine who had turned around and headed towards a small door near the throne.

"This could have gotten better." Helena sighed.

"Not really. A few months ago – sure. Right now, the Duchess has little real power and no alternative that won't destroy her support base. She really isn't who we need to talk with."

"Your mysterious contacts on Mandalore?"

"Among other people. First we need to have a chat with the ambassador and get briefed on the latest developments."


	81. Chapter 23 Parts 7&8

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 23: Politics, Mando style**

**=RK=**

**Part 7**

**Ambassador's office**

**Republic Embassy **

**Mandalore**

"What do you mean the Ambassador was kriffing recalled?!" I glared at the ranking Republic diplomat left in the Embassy – a dark blue Twi'lek Counselor.

The young man recoiled from my anger and waved his hands in placating gesture.

"Ambassador Nelliis was ordered back to Coruscant to shortly before you arrived, General. I believe that she departed about the same time your ships exited hyperspace."

This was a sweet little kriff you from Palpatine, I'm sure of it as much I was sure that he would be placing the blame on someone who's been a thorn in his side within the Republic Diplomatic corps.

"This is bold. Who exactly did you piss off at Coruscant?" Helena asked.

"More than a few people, I'm sure." I sighed. Palpy was getting more and more irritating lately. I might even have to move against him before everything was in place and the war would be all but won. At any rate, that was a few years down the line. I didn't have neither the assets nor the alliances needed to openly attack the Chancellor.

I closed my eyes for a moment and ignored the Council, who was busy making excuses. My plans for Mandalore were rather simple – ensure that Bo-Katan became the new Mandalore, though to pull that off would be a challenge. She simply lacked enough glory and backing to credibly try gaining the position at this time. That's why I planned to gather a significant amount of warriors and Clan Heads behind the ideals of the honorable warriors of old like Mandalore the Vindicated and his successor, my friend Stephen Ordo - he was one of the best men I ever knew and would be turning in his grave at seeing what had happened with his people. After that I was going to propose that they unleashed their warriors to participate in the war until there was someone who proved to be a Mandalore material and could credibly hold the position.

If I continued being sabotaged from Coruscant I might not have a choice but be forced to deal with the Mandalorians once and for all - and that would be a kriffing waste. Further, it would be spitting on Ordo's grave and all the times he saved my life. Last time I checked he actually was ahead.

I smiled wishfully. A wave of fury almost overwhelmed me as I thought about all I lost. Everyone I once called a friend had been dead long enough to be nothing more but dust. What the kriff I was doing fighting for the Republic? They weren't my people. They and the Empire were gone for millennia. All I had left was a hope to go home to a world an dimension away, to a woman I loved a few lifetimes ago. If I was allowed to. I still remembered dying when that super-weapon misfired. I clearly remember awakening in my fighter in a system far, far a way in a future I barely knew. I remember struggling with memories old and new.

Yet… What could I do? What was left? Why did I fight? The faces of Shaak-Ti, Obi-Wan, Aria, Bo-Katan and many more flashed before my eyes. People I considered my friends. Others, who won my respect. The soldiers under my command, who looked up to me to get them through the hell that was this war. The woman I might be slowly falling for and another that I found fascinating.

In truth, they were the reason I fought. The only thing I really had in this time and place. As for Natarle and Earth – I hoped that one day I would be back. That I would change the fate I knew awaited them. However, I've changed. Once I would have sacrificed the whole galaxy for that goal without a thought. Then I met Vette and later Ashara along with a lot of people I considered friends and comrades. By the time I fell in love with my late wife, I knew that I would no longer sacrifice everyone here for Nat and Earth.

Now, all those years latter, I found myself in a similar position. This wasn't a playground or a simple task to be completed. Kriff it, I wasn't going to let Stephan's people, no matter how much they had lost their way burn for the mistakes of a few idiots.

It was time to cut some corners and go for a more radical plan.

"Enough." I snapped. "I need your best information about the current Clan Leaders. Coordinate with the Intelligence Chief, he better be here. Half an hour. I also need a secure room to place a call from."

A couple of minutes later, we were in the basement, where the local Intel station comm equipment was based. It was the best I was going to get short of getting up to the Chimera. A few short orders later and I was alone in front of a heavily encrypted holo-communicator. Soon enough my call came through and a few minutes later, Shaak-Ti as well as the other people I had requested were on line.

While I waited, I cursed the way I lost my composure earlier. It's been a long time since my past before ending in this galaxy bothered me too much… not to mention the way I've been suppressing what I felt about being catapulted in the future and losing everything.

Heh. At least this war was a great distraction and a good way to suppress my grief while I concentrated on commanding and fighting. Besides "a proper" Sith would have simply shrugged and started looking for a way to increase his power. In the end, I did the same, just for different reasons.

I smiled. Perhaps a pissed off Sith is exactly what the doctor prescribed to the Mandalorians.

A few seconds after the Shaak-Ti's holographic image appeared. She looked delicious in the light robes she wore. A moment later three men stepped into view too – the Mandalorians whose presence I had ordered. Their obvious leader was a a short but bulky brown haired man, who looked to be in his early thirties. He was flanked by a another man with a bit longer and lighter brown hair. He wore a light gray mandalorian styled armor with the symbol of combat medic. The last Mandalorian wearing such I badge I met was Mako – the future wife of Mandalore the Dauntless. The last man was almost shaved bald but I could see a crop of very short black hair. He was the tallest of the three, though he was athletic instead of being a mountain of muscle. His black armor stood out among the lighter garb of the other people around him.

"General Veil, this is a surprise. I gather that this isn't a social call." Ti gave me a small smile when she saw me, but otherwise didn't show nothing but a professional interest.

"Unfortunately not. The situation here has taken a turn for the worse. General Kal Skirata, Mij Gilamar and Walon Vau, I presume?"

"Correct General Veil. I'm Skirata. What's the problem?" The Mandalorian warrior was wary. After all, it wasn't every day that the next best thing to your commander in chief called out of the blue, especially if you haven't had any contact with them previously. It seldom boded well too.

"Barring a miracle Mandalore is going to be a smoking ball of glass in couple of weeks." I stated flatly. That got their undivided attention. "How well have you kept with news from home?" I asked them before they could recover from the bomb I just dropped.

Only the man in black armor didn't react. The Combat medic gave me a flat look that promised pain and death, while the General Simply stared at me.

"Veil, what did you do this time?" Shaak-Ti sounded exasperated.

"Me? I simply had an informal meeting with Duchess Satine. She and the New Mandalorians are finished. Warriors are joining the kriffing Death Watch in droves and the latter imbeciles are going to either wing control over Mandalore and joint the CIS or launch a coup if they can't take power in a more traditional way."

"I see." Shaak-Ti sighed. "I know what you would do in such a case."

"You know me so well." I teased, earning myself a glare.

"I need and explanation. Now." Skirata spoke quietly in a voice that broke no argument.

"That's curious. Besides my Clone Troopers, you're the second Mandalorian in this day and age I met who actually has a spine. I'm glad that Mandalore the Dauntless still has a few of his people left who are worth something." I gave the Mandalorian a cold smile.

The Mandalorian General narrowed his eyes at me. "I've heard a lot of rumors about you. That you're a delusional Dark Jedi. A Sith who decided that hiding was no longer necessary… Even a few claiming that you fought in the Great Galactic War nearly four thousand years ago. At Coruscant, Ryloth and Geonosis you proved you know what you were doing. You earned yourself a lot of glory." Skirata gave me a sharp nod of respect at that. "Still… A true Sith after all those years and one allied with the Jedi and the Republic? That's hard to believe."

"We all play the cards we've been dealt. I was part of the Empire once - until a super-weapon misfired and threw me millennia into the future. My people are gone – all I could do in their honor now is to hunt down and dispose of the fallen Jedi Dooku who pretends to be a Sith and sullies our name. But we aren't here to discuss my past or people, but Mandalore's future."

"I'm still waiting for an explanation." Skirata raised his ordered.

"Your people are leaderless. The only banner the warriors could gather around is that of the Death Watch." I paused and stared at each man in turn. "You've been gathered here by Fett, so I hope that you and your friends on Kamino do believe in the creed of the True Mandalorians. Unless Mandalore unites behind someone honorable, its days are numbered. I can't allow your world to join the Separatists. If the Death Watch start a coup or takes power, Republic forces under my command will interfere and neutralize the threat once and for all."

Skirata looked at Shaak-Ti, who stared at him for a moment and then gave him a firm nod.

"I know what a Sith would do in such a case. I did pay attention during my history lessons." The Mandalorian warrior spoke in a voice that sounded calm. If it wasn't for the Force, it would be almost impossible to sense the emotion in his words. There were anger and apprehension, mixed in with fear. "You called us for a reason."

"I would prefer to have your people as my allies once again. The last thing I want is to be the man responsible for destroying Mandalore and breaking the Mandalorians. That's a fate that I want to prevent. I owe that much and more to Stephen Ordo. I called you to ask for help. Help me save your people and bring them up to the standards of Honor that Mandalore the Vindicated and Mandalore the Dauntless were famous for. What say you, Kal Skirata, Clan Leader of Clan Skirata?" I asked aloud.

**=RK=**

**Part 8**

**Republic Intelligence center**

**Republic Embassy **

**Mandalore**

For nearly a minute I had a staring match with the Mandalorians.

"What do you intend to do, General Veil? We've been practically ghosts for more than a decade. Our standing at home will be less than impressive after all that time." Skirata stated.

"For starters, I need to talk with the most important Clan Leaders, something I believe you can facilitate."

"I still have a few contacts left. It should be doable. The honor and glory you earned yourself will help in that regard." The Mandalorian General said.

"Second – the Death Watch are nothing but a bunch of glorified thugs and gangsters. Most of their acts were attacks against other Mandalorians. They need to be exposed for all to see what their misguided ideas really mean."

"I agree. They betrayed everything a True Mandalorian stands for once, there's no reason the believe they won't do that again." Skirata's voice became frosty. He obviously meant what the Death Watch did during the Civil War – something that as far as I knew wasn't a public knowledge. If it was and they still had such a large support as reported, the Mandalorians were truly lost.

"It's a wonder what one might find in the Jedi Archives. I ran in a few interesting pieces of trivia while I was catching up on history." I smiled coldly. Checking up what happened with the Mandalorians had been high on my priority list after I saw the outcome of the Great War. Kriff the bastards who tore the Empire apart after the Republic fleets were all but destroyed and the war was for all intents and purposes won.

Skirata froze. "You have proof about their treachery?"

"I do. However, considering that it comes from the Jedi Archives, it's not exactly credible."

"It's better than what we have. However, it's been a long time. Fett killed the bastard who engineered the betrayal. The proof is worth less today than it would have been a decade ago. What else?"

"We provoke the Death Watch, make them show their true colors. Then we challenge their leaders to a single combat and deal with them."

"A dangerous gamble, worthy of a Mandalorian." Skirata nodded. I obviously earned myself a notch of approval in his eyes. "The big problem's that we currently don't have an unifying figure. No one with a sufficient claim to become Mandalore anyway."

"That's a big concern. My initial plan was to keep the situation from exploding for long enough that someone could spread their wings and cover themselves in glory during the war. That's no longer viable plan."

"What then? Discredit the Death Watch and hope for the best?"

"Do it and improvise. The alternative is that Mandalore burns."

"What else do you want from us?"

"Gather as many commandos and Mandalorians you can find on Kamino, then make your way here ASAP. We need to talk in person anyway."

"We'll leave on the first available transport."

"Make sure that's well armed." I gave a nod to Shaak-Ti and cut the connection.

Then I sent an encrypted burst transmission to Bo-Katan.

**=RK=**

**Brox's Bar**

**Sundari  
Mandalore**

After a few hours of who's who in today's Clans, I let Helena to get more in-depth information and left the embassy. As far as I knew, Obi-Wan was still trying to smooth over things with his girlfriend. That thought made me smirk. If the woman didn't have her head stuck as deep in her ass as she did and if Kenobi wasn't still too clingy to the Jedi dogma, my Mandalore problem might be resolved.

Obi-Wan certainly was covered with enough honor and glory to qualify for the position and hooking up with Satine would come with him becoming a part of the Mando culture. That was an interesting idea worth exploring.

It took me about an hour to reach my destination – which was an address that Bo sent me while I was busy with the Intel Chief. The place made me smile. It also brought a bout of nostalgia.

It was a bar – just like Stephen would have chosen for clandestine, or well any meeting in which he might had got away with it. For the Mandalorians, bar were practically a cultural thing – a places to watch some sport, get a drink and something to eat, make a deal and chill off by a way of a nice bar-fight. The places shouldn't be mistaken with cantinas – first, everyone was much more polite, a result of everyone inside usually being trained and armed killer. Second, in any reputable Mando bar you couldn't find some usual things about cantinas the galaxy over – drugs, prostitutes and cut-purses. Two of those were pure suicide to try and the last was going to get you thrown out.

Outside the place wasn't anything to write home about – just a sturdy looking door with a sign above. The interior was much better and brought a lot of nostalgia. There were a lot of tables, with a reasonably large place reserved for dancing in the center. The bar was on the right – it was a slab of dark metal that looked suspiciously like a polished piece of starship hull. It was lined up with sturdy tall chairs which looked strong enough to easily hold a big guy clad in heavy armor. Good thing too, because I could see five warriors at the bar busy either sipping their drinks or watching a big screen covering most of the wall to the left. Half the tables were filled with dining people, some were obviously couples, others looked like squads of warriors out for dinner. The remaining two walls were lined up with leather seats surrounding low tables and were submerged into shadows. Above them, I could see a few dozens trophies – all were dangerous predators. The crown pieces were a rankor's head and much more impressive – a

a Terentatek one. I've dealt with a few of the latter back in the day. They were big brutes – heavily armored, fast, vicious and almost completely immune to the Force. In fact a handful even fed on it when I tried to attack them that way.

I shook my head and enhanced my perception with the Force. The familiar feeling of Bo-Katan immediately stood out. I smiled and headed to the corner seat to my left. A moment later, I enhanced my eyes and could clearly see her despite the shadows doing great job of concealing her. Bo-Katan was wearing armor similar to what she had back on Ryloth, though she was painted in the Death Watch preferred colors. I hoped that she was going to make the right decision.

I would hate to have to kill her.


	82. Chapter 23 Parts 9&10

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 23: Politics, Mando style**

**=RK=**

**Part 9**

**Brox's Bar**

**Sundari**

**Mandalore**

"It's good to see you again." I smiled. Then I frowned, when Bo leaned forward and I could see her face clearly.

"I wish I could say the same." Kryze grumbled, while playing with a cup of steaming caff.

The woman looked rather worse to wear. Her hair was a disheveled mess. Her face was gaunt and pale. That only made the huge black bags under her bloodshot eyes stand off like roadside signs.

"Did you try to drink a platoon under the table or something?" I asked and sat down across the table from Bo-Katan.

"It sounded like a good idea at the time." She gave me a tired smile.

"It usually does - right until the hangover hits."

"Don't I know it." Bo sighed and took a sip from her drink. "How do you like today's Mandalore?" She asked morosely.

"My answer is going to make Jabba the Hutt blush." I deadpanned.

"I can see that."

Damn. Whatever had happened in the last few month had shaken her to the core.

"You know, I didn't imagine us meeting again like this." I muttered.

"How so?"

"I expected that you'd want a rematch after you were loaded for Sith." I smiled. It's been a very long time since I fought a Mandalorian Warrior who was prepared to face one of my kind.

"The thought did cross my mind." Her lips twitched upwards. "The implications however..." Bo shrugged. "One of these days I may take you up on that."

Oh. She was a Mandalorian. Right. Well… A "sparing" match with one of her culture could have various implications, some much more important and complicated than others.

"What? Did I make the big bat Sith speechless?"

"Well, my Mando courting rituals are bit rusty. Did you just say that you would try to kick my ass and drag me to bed afterwords?"

"If you're particularly good boy." Bo-Katan smirked. "Or bad, depending on the situation."

I smiled back. It was good to see the spark of life back in her eyes.

"We'll see. I'm looking forward fighting beside you again… and I hope that would be the case instead of facing you for one last time." The smile and any good cheer I felt bled off me. It was time for Bo-Katan to chose her side.

I hoped it would be mine.

"No more idle chat, eh?" Bo finished her caff and looked me in the eyes. "You were right." She sighed and slumped back in her seat.

"The Death Watch… they're no honorable warriors. Slavery, drugs, extortion, common murder, smuggling – take your pick." Bo hissed like an angry snake. "Looking back, a lot of my jobs for them..." She trailed off and shook her head. "I've tarnished my honor, my Clan's honor almost as much as my sister does."

Ah. That explains a lot.

"Satine? I don't think you could have possibly kriffed up as much as she did. I had a chat with her earlier today, you know."

"While I kriffed up my honor at least I didn't spit on all that means to be a Mandalorian." Bo laughed bitterly.

"Yes. She messed up pretty badly."

"That's an understatement." The Mandalorian woman whispered darkly. "You've seen what I sent you. The Death Watch are growing in strength. Warriors are falling over themselves to join without knowing what they are doing. It's all her fault."

"All? That's a bit much, don't you think?"

"Thanks to _my sister_" Bo spat, "there's no other credible alternative. No one else to rally us."

"In my time I would have expected that the Mandalorians would know better. The Death Watch betrayed the last true Mandalorian warriors at the end of your civil war. What makes you all think that they won't do it again?"

"What?!" Bo hissed.

"Ah. I thought it was common knowledge. Vizsla, the previous leader of the Death Watch informed the Republic where the remaining True Mandalorians would be. They sent a Jedi task force which ambushed them. Only one man got away."

"How do you know that?"

"The Jedi archives. I 'persuaded' them to give me access so I could catch up on history and see what happened with my friends and comrades back in my day. Naturally the history of Stephen's people was something high up on my list."

"Do you have proof? Who's Stephen?"

"It's back on the Chimera in orbit." I pointed up. "As for Stephen – Stephen Ordo. We ran into each other more than a few times and become friends. Shortly after the war went hot, he became Mandalore the Dauntless after his predecessor was assassinated by a Jedi strike team."

"Kriff me sideways! You were the Black Knight?!" Bo stared at me as if I suddenly grew another head.

"Stephen's to blame for that! I had nothing to do with that nickname!"

"I can't say if you're kriffing with me or if you're telling the truth."

"We both know that I can't possibly prove who I am. Not beyond a shadow of a doubt." I shrugged. That was the truth after all.

"You can't, can you?" Bo's enthusiasm took a nosedive. Then she grinned at me. "We're going to have our _spar _sooner than latter. Combat is the purest expression of oneself." Her eyes gleamed with excitement.

"I didn't know you subscribed to Echani teachings."

"Some. Grandma was one before she become one of us."

What's with women trying to kill me lately?!

"You're aware that I'm not a Mandalorian, right?"

"Not yet." Bo beamed at me. "You might be one when I'm done with you."

Oh. I suddenly felt like a steak served to a hungry lioness.

"You're presuming you could win this time." I smiled back. We'll see who's the hunter and who's the hunted.

"This time I know who and what I'm facing."

Damn. She was serious. Unless the Mando culture had radically changed… Kriff it. There were certain things expected of you if you hooked up with a Mandalorian. Like becoming one.

Mind you, I was interested in Bo-Katan. She was a fascinating woman – a great warrior, with fiery temper and a figure to die for.

Then there was Shaak-Ti – my may be lover too. I was most definitely interested in her, though I still didn't know if it was because of herself or because of her resemblance to my late wife.

How the kriff did I get myself in this mess anyway?! Damn it, this was going to further complicate the situation.

"Do you really?" I teased. I couldn't help myself and started digging a deeper hole.

"Well, I'll know for sure when I'm done with you." Bo declared cheekily. She sighed. "However, I don't believe you called me just to arrange for our spark."

"I'm glad you've seen the Death Watch for what they're. I would hate to see you on the wrong side of the battlefield."

"Me too." Bo muttered softly. "Though it would have been a battle to remember!" She perked up.

Mandalorians.

"You're better apprised of the local situation than me. How long until your former colleagues could try seizing power and succeed?" I spoke quietly.

"Direct action? Two, three weeks tops. The old fashioned way? A few months unless the government falls, then much sooner."

"Sooner it is. Satine's position won't survive the pressure of the Republic and CIS."

"Well, well. I expected that the Republic would be supporting her." BO leaned forward. "That's certainly a surprise."

"It's a mess. I'm the Republic negotiator. Unless Mandalore allies with us, I'm to remove it as a threat." I whispered.

That certainly shocked Bo. The blood drained from her face. She was one of the few people who not only knew that I was a Sith of old, but believed it beyond a shadow of a doubt. She knew that I wasn't bluffing or exaggerating.

I could feel her shock. Soon it was supplanted by a silver of fear, but mostly anger. Damn, she looked like a vengeful goddess of war when angry!

"Then the Death Watch needs to go." Bo stated flatly.

"My thoughts exactly."

**=RK=**

**Part 10**

**Royal gardens**

**Sundari Royal Palace**

**Sundari**

**Mandalore**

Flowers from all over the galaxy thrived under the protection of environmental shields – their alcoves were separated by alleys lined up with carefully trimmed bushes, which were barely tall enough to reach Kenobi's knees.

The place was breathtaking, yet Obi-Wan barely noticed. He had eyes only for Satine, who was radiating so much anger that the Jedi could swear that he could see. The Duchess suddenly stopped and turned to face him.

"What was that?!" Satine snapped and pointed an accusing finger at his chest. "You're supposed to be a Jedi!" Her eyes flashed with unbound fury. "A representative of the Republic!" Satine actually poked him in the chest. "Yet, you just stood there while that man threatened to burn Mandalore!" The Duchess hissed.

Obi-Wan averted his eyes. She was right… yet it was no longer so simple.

"What would you have me do, Satine?!" Kenobi sighed. "You're right!" He raised his hands in surrender. "As a Jedi, I should be doing what's best for peace. I should be doing my best to protect Mandalore!"

That gave Satine pause. Her fury subdued to merely boiling anger. "Yet, you said nothing to contradict that man!" She growled.

"I'm a Jedi! A sword protector of the Republic! What am I supposed to do when in order to preserve it I may have to ensure that Mandalore doesn't become a threat in this war?!" Obi-Wan exclaimed.

"We're no threat! We're peaceful people!" Satine exclaimed.

"You are. The New Mandalorians too." Kenobi nodded at her, while speaking softly. "I can't say the same about the Death Watch and everyone supporting them."

Satine recoiled as if he just slapped her.

"Damn them!" The Duchess hissed. "Damn the warrior culture that still haunt us!"

Obi-Wan had to take a step back from the sheer loathing that Satine radiated for a moment. Her shoulders slumped and she stared at the floor.

"Will you allow it then? Will you simply watch my world burn and do nothing if the warmongers prevail?"

"I… I don't know. I don't know what to do." Obi-Wan admitted. "I'm a Jedi. A general serving the Republic." He laughed sadly. "It should have been easy – to do the right thing. Instead..." He trailed off. "As a Jedi, as a General… I would have to prevent Mandalore joining the enemy and becoming another threat by any means necessary. As a Jedi – I should be seeking a peaceful resolution of this conflict. Bombarding, much less burning down this world should have been unthinkable!" Kenobi shouted.

"The Republic." Satine trailed off. "What about it? The Republic I know wouldn't condone destroying a world because it might be a threat! That's what the Separatists would do!"

"Fear. Desperation." Obi-Wan shrugged. "Take your pick. The Republic hasn't been the same since Naboo and Coruscant. We all made mistakes. We lost our way."

"That would be a cold comfort for my people."

"I know. We, the Jedi – no longer control the army. If we ever did." Obi-Wan sighed. "The best we could do is try mitigating the damage and try to end the conflict as soon as possible."

"That's it?" Satine exclaimed.

"It is." Obi-Wan smiled sadly. "We can no longer stop the war, if we ever could. We don't have the influence to prevent the Senate and GAR High Command from carrying out a plan if they're determined to execute it. We can only quit and then we would have no say at all in how this conflict is prosecuted."

Satine simply stared at him. Her eyes were wide with disbelief.

"We made too many mistakes. While significant number of generals are Jedi nowadays we have much less say in strategy and tactics than we had when the war started. We lost a lot of our credibility and influence."

"Instead you're all following a Sith!" Satine snapped.

Kenobi nodded numbly.

"How can you justify it?!"

"Delkatar wins. He's one of the main reasons why we didn't lose dozens more Jedi when the Temple was attacked. Most importantly, he's not as limited as we are when fighting the war is concerned – it's not that he's a better general, though he is for now at least, it's the fact that he can implement tactics and strategies that are usually unthinkable for Jedi like me."

"He fights and commands like a monster!"

"That's one way of putting it. It's true. Satine – on Geonosis he ordered orbital strikes on towns and cities where the enemy was either hiding or had installations. Millions died, yet… not a single non-Jedi officer had a problem with that. If we went in there to clean those places in a way that any Jedi, myself included, would have deemed acceptable… I KNOW IT WAS WRONG! I COULD FEEL ALL THOSE PEOPLE DIE!" Obi-Wan shouted. He was shaking with emotions he could no longer suppress.

Satine stared at him in shock.

"Why?" She whispered after they were silent for a couple of minutes.

"Why didn't I protest? Why didn't I stop the slaughter?" Obi-Wan grimaced. "Doing so would have broken our army. Hundreds of thousands soldiers would have died. It might have doomed us in the long term. The Separatists could replace their loses faster than we can. If the ground forces we led on Geonosis were lost…" Kenobi sighed. "Besides, doing so, would have meant betraying every man and woman who followed us down on Geonosis, every sentient fighting for the Republic across the galaxy."

"That's not what a Jedi should be thinking." Satine whispered.

"No. It's what a general should think when he considers throwing an army into the meat-grinder." Obi-Wan muttered. He had to fight to keep away flashbacks of Ryloth and the way he let down his men.

"What about you, Obi-Wan? Not the Jedi." Satine came a step closer. "Not the general." Another one and she was almost touching him. "What about the man standing in front of me? What do you want? What do you fight for?" She asked and stared in his eyes.

Her feelings were confused – Obi-Wan could feel her subduing anger, confusion, fear for her world and people… longing…

"What do I want?" Kenobi muttered. That was a question he hadn't asked himself in a very long time. There was always something more important to deal with rather than seek an answer for that particular question. "I want the war to end." He stared in Satine's eyes. "I..." Obi-Wan trailed of an leaned over her.

Their lips touched and Kenobi was lost to the taste of vanilla.


	83. Chapter 24 Parts 1&2

****AN: This part was betaed by Urile on the space battles forums. Thank you very much!****

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 24: Mandalorian dreams**

**=RK=**

**Part 1**

**Brox's Bar**

**Sundari  
Mandalore**

"How did you make the Republic find its balls?" Bo-Katan asked me after a few seconds of silence.

"That was all the Sep's doing. They made my life much easier."

"Yes. They apparently had that childish notion that they can attack, bomb and enslave, yet no one would be doing the same to them and their allies." The red-headed woman chuckled humorlessly. "It's too bad that my world might burn as an object lesson."

"Not if I have anything to say about it."

"You're in charge. So don't bomb us to the stone age if certain idiots join the Separatists?" Bo smiled at me.

"That's something I can't do even if you're the one asking."

"Too bad. Perhaps after I handle you your ass?"

"Perhaps. Do you have credible proof about your friends extra-curricular activities?"

"A bit. Not enough to bring them down." Bo-Katan pouted.

"However, enough to convince you?"

"More than enough." She glared at the table.

"Are you ready to join me? We have a lot to do."

Bo looked me in the eyes and nodded. I stood up and offered her my hand when the Force screamed a warning. I moved without thinking and tackled Bo, who was too surprised and slowed down by the hangover to offer any real resistance. Acting on a combination of instinct and experience, I used the telekinesis to flip the table and place it between us and the rest of the bar. In the same time I grabbed the Force and put it as a barrier…

The world ended in thundering roar and a wave of fire.

**=RK=**

"It's confirmed, boss. She's meeting that Republic general." Goren Kranz, one of the Death Watch's old hands spoke clearly in the comm unit of his helmet.

He and his squad of warriors had been keeping an eye on Bo-Katan ever since she came back from Ryloth and started nosing around. Their leader found her new hobby interesting and charged Kranz's mercenaries to find out what it was all about.

At the beginning, actually trailing her without being noticed proved to be very hard – they often had to abandon the hunt or be detected. Fortunately, a couple of months latter, Katan started getting a bit sloppy. That coincided with her finding about some of the more… _sensitive_ activities of the Death Watch. Goren still didn't see what the problem was – their organization had bills that needed paying and some of the jobs came with delicious benefits.

For some reason, Bo-Katan didn't agree.

No one would have really cared – it wasn't like their membership was to the death or something… unless you decided to betray the Death Watch. Unfortunately for Bo-Katan, she did so. Kranz was the first one to actually catch her sent a heavily encrypted transmission through the holo-net. That by itself wasn't too suspicious, though with Katan snooping around…

The second transmission had been detected, copied and after a few weeks under the mercies of Death Watch decryption specialists – read. The first sign of alarm was the encryption – it was undoubtedly GAR, but much better than anything the organization had tried to break before. The contents of the message – a list of the lucrative businesses run by the Death Watch - sealed Bo-Katan's fate.

That's why she was sent to a suicide mission in Hutt Space leading a squad of green warriors.

Then she had the temerity to succeed. After that, the traitorous woman had been busy trying to drown herself in a booze. Kranz had been ready to try taking her out himself, when she had gotten a holo-call. From what little he was able to overhear, whoever she's been selling the Death Watch to would be arriving soon.

That bought her a bit of time – when Goren brought that bit of info to the leader – he ordered Kranz to wait until the meeting took place, find out who was Katan's accomplice and call back.

"I see. Is your squad in position?"

Kranz glanced around the small apartment they had rented across the street from Katan's favorite bar. His warriors were lounging in the living room clad in their armors and armed to the teeth.

"We're ready."

"Take them out."

"It will be a pleasure. We have green light." Goren announced once the connection with command was cut.

"It's kriffing time." Mac, the demo expert of their small band, grumbled.

"A pity. I quite liked her." Howe, their pilot and sniper quipped.

"You just wanted to fuck her." The only woman in the group – Dora - sneered.

"That's what I said." Howe shrugged.

"Enough. We have to deal with a Sith wannabe." Kranz snapped, making his people chuckle. "Dora, Howe – the speeder and heavy repeater. Mac – put a rocket in the bar on my signal. The rest of you – come with me."

A few minutes later, Goren was across the street from the bar. He was flanked by Torn and Leo – the close combat specialists. The speeder that would be providing getaway was parked next to them and Dora was in the back, ready to open the side door and let lose with the repeater. Mac was still upstairs, where he had a rocket launcher ready.

Kranz nodded to his men and they took cover behind the speeder. "Do it." He ordered. A moment later, an AP rocket roared above their heads and struck the heavy door of the bar. The obstacle, along with a large section of the surrounding walls simply ceased to exist. Before anyone knew what was happening, Mac shot an HE warhead into the bar. The following explosion turned the interior into a slaughterhouse.

Without waiting for a prompt, Dora opened the speeder's door and lit up the bar with the heavy repeater.

All that would have been an overkill against most people.

Kranz knew better. He made a hand-gesture and threw a pair of sonic grenades into the bar. His men followed suit a moment later. That should have been enough to disorient even a Force Adept.

Then a spread of frag grenades followed, while Mac rappelled from the apartment.

Goren slammed his fist in the side of the speeder three times and Dora stopped firing. She shoved the repeater aside, grabbed her rifle and jumped out. Kranz shouldered his heavy blaster rifle and gestured his squad to move in.

It was time to make sure that Bo-Katan and her buddy were vaporized.

**=RK=**

**Part 2**

**Brox's Bar**

**Sundari  
Mandalore**

A spread of concussion grenades detonated moments before Kranz and his squad stormed the burning bar. Goren led the way, trusting that his armor can take a shot or two if anyone of the patrons had survived the onslaught, no matter how unlikely it was. Dora and Mac dashed left, while remaining men swept right. The sensors in Goren' helmet allowed him to see clearly despite the smoke filling up the burning bar.

Kranz smiled once he saw that there was no one moving and he allowed himself to examine the place. Most of the furniture sans the bar plot was wrecked – tables and chairs were torn to shreds, a few were actually melted too. The same could be said for the patrons. Those who wore armor were relatively intact – the rest, well they were literally blown to pieces – their blood was coating the floor and walls.

"So much for that so called Sith." Mac sneered.

"True. No one could have survived this." Dora nodded. She was looked at a fully armored mandalorian warrior, who had been caught in the crossfire. His armor was heavily dented and she could see blood leaking from cracks in the helmet.

That was the most intact corpse in the room.

"Find and vape the targets, then we're gone." Goren ordered. He didn't feel like playing with the security forces. The boss wanted a relatively 'clean' op."

"Sure thi-" Dora never finished her sentence. Before she or Mac could react, they were swept away by a table that was warped and full with holes. The improvised projectile caught Leo in the shoulder and threw him over the bar.

Goren and Theo wasted no time. They dived to the debris and blood covered floor, then opened fire at the corner where the table stood. Kranz cursed when every shot was met and deflected by an angry crimson blade. He looked up and saw the man wielding it – it was that Republic general and he looked furious.

"Mow them down!" Goren shouted and aimed at the hilt – that at least would make it almost impossible to deflect the shots back at him.

Dora didn't bother getting up. Instead, she shot a missile from her wrist mounted launcher.

Kranz could see a look of contempt passing through the Force User's face. The man flicked his fingers in a dismissive gesture. The rocket that was almost upon him made an almost a hundred and eighty degree turn and roared back at the Mandalorians.

"Sith-spa..." Theo's scream was cut short by a deafening explosion.

The shock-wave scattered the Mandalorians. It shoved and dragged Goren over the floor. He barely kept his gun and wits.

A moment later he was up on one knee and shooting, while ignoring the ringing in his ears. The sound dampeners in his helmet saved his hearing, but were unable to totally compensate for the almost point blank explosion.

Dora slammed into him with enough momentum do make him dizzy.

Kranz blinked stars away. Then he did so again, because he was seeing purple.

Then he heard Leo's inhuman screams. He looked left and blanched. Leo was suspended in mind-air by a torrent of lighting that was running up and down his armor… which was _melting_.

Mac sent a pair of blaster shots at the Republic scum that was murdering Goren's team, though it was futile. The shots were deflected in an almost lazy manner, before another figure rose from behind the general. Kranz snarled as he saw the traitor alive and unharmed – Katan didn't have a scratch on her, the bitch.

Her appearance kicked Goren's mind back into high gear and he jumped up on his feet. Kranz had lost his rifle so pulled a heavy blaster pistol, then charged the Sith. He hoped to distract him, giving either Mac or Dora a chance. Instead, Bo-Katan drew her pistols and opened fire. A moment later, Mac went down under a hail of bullets.

Goren snarled. His shots were battered away, however he was close enough. A flick of the wrist and the flame thrower built in his left arm-guard roared to life and sent a stream of liquid fire at the Jedi Sith.

The man in black smirked and raised a hand in a halting gesture. The torrent of fire met an invisible wall and was harmlessly redirected at the ceiling. In the same time, Katan saw Dora, who was still dizzy and shot her like a dog. Two baleful yellow eyes stared straight into Kranz's soul. The Mandalorian's fingers became soft like butter and he dropped down his blaster. He felt his body being squeezed by an industrial press, before a lance of lighting slammed him into the far wall.

**=RK=**

I let the concentrated lighting storm go. The assassin I caught with it fell to the ground and continued to bake under his half-melted armor.

"Are you all right?" I asked Bo, despite feeling her bright presence in the Force behind me.

"I'll live." She groaned.

Another armored Mandalorian charged through the door and opened fire. I deflected his shots and glared at him. He took one good look at the carnage, dropped his rifle and dashed back through the door.

"Oh, no, you don't!" I snapped and charged after him.

The man dived in the driver seat of a nearby large speeder, which had it's side door opened. The machine was already running so it took him a single moment to try driving away.

"No." I hissed and raised a hand. The speeder's engine strained struggling against my telekinetic grip and lost. I let my lightsaber go and guided it back into my robes, then I raised my right hand and concentrated. I let the Dark Side flow through me, then channeled it's energies into my right palm. A few seconds later, a meter long spear of pure Dark Side energy materialized in my hand, making my skin tingle with power.

I threw the projectile at the struggling speeder. The Mandalorian jumped away in the last second. The Darkspear tore through the speeder as if it was made of cardboard, passed through the driver's seat and slashed the power cell. A moment later, the machine spluttered and died.

The last assassin found his balls, drew a blaster pistol and opened fire at me.

I sneered at the kriffing bastard and pointed my right hand at him. It was still covered with Dark Side energies, which I reinforced, before

slapping away the blaster bolts screaming at me.

It was time for a lesson. I concentrated and pulled even more energy in myself. When the next shot came, I extended my will over it and placed it into a Force derived stasis field, then I crushed the blaster pistol shooting at me and the hand holding it.

The Mandalorian screamed in pain, but despite the ruined arm, his attention was stuck on the last blaster bolt – it hanged frozen in mid-flight. It was gibing an unpleasant buzzing sound as it's energies struggled against the stasis field.

"Well, that's new." Bo-Katan whistled from behind. I glanced back to see her dragging the assassin's leader. Her emerald eyes were fixed on the blaster bolt and she had a hungry smile on her face.


	84. Chapter 24 Parts 3&4

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 24: Mandalorian dreams**

**=RK=**

**Part 3**

**Brox's Bar**

**Sundari  
Mandalore**

I looked at the gathering crowd around us – more than a half of the people were armed and armored Mandalorians. The local security services were arriving too, though most were slowed down by the people surrounding us.

The Mandalorians were radiating anger, curiosity some even disgust. A lot obviously didn't like the fact that someone started open warfare in their capital… without warning and inviting them. Others were appalled at the sight, though they were a distinct minority of the people gathering here.

"What the kriff did you do to my bar?!" A deep voice shouted above the whispers of the locals. A barrel chested armored Mandalorian shoved his way through the crowd until he could clearly see the demolished building behind us.

"Hi, Brox!" Bo waved cheerfully. "This is exactly what it looks like."

"You and the rest of the Death Watch fools got too drunk and shoot up my bar?" The two meters tall Mandalorian rumbled and pointed an accusing finger at my companion. He paid no heed to the would be assassin I had suspended in the air or the hovering blaster bolt.

"You walked straight into this one." I chuckled.

"Who the kriff are you?" Brox growled and turned his helmeted head my way.

"General Delkatar Veil – the Dark Lord of the Sith at your services." I gave him a respectful nod. "Those idiots" – I pointed at the Death Watch wannabe with the crushed hand, "tried to assassinate my friend over there and me. They weren't up to the task." I shrugged. "It was a pathetic attempt really."

"My bar and patrons would disagree." Brox glanced at the smoking ruin. "Survivors?"

"Just us and two prisoners." Bo answered.

"Kriff."

Mandalorian security finally arrived. Most of them wore either light armors or the ceremonial garb of the palace guards, complete with energy pikes.

They took one look at the devastation, the armors worn by my prisoners and Bo, then raised their weapons our way.

"Drop your weapons and raise your hands! You're under arrest!" The man in charge – an LT, ordered us.

"No." I stated flatly. "I'm general Veil, representative of the Galactic Republic and thus covered under diplomatic immunity. Those," I pointed at the captives, "are Death Watch agents who just tried to assassinate me. They committed an act of war against the Republic and are prisoners of war. I'm being generous in not assuming that all Mandalorians nowadays are supporters of the Death Watch – a bunch of cowardly thugs, smugglers, pirates and slavers who know no honor." I paused for effect and stared at the LT. "Chose your next words very carefully, Lieutenant."

"What about her?" The Mandalorian pointed at Bo-Katan.

"She's with me."

"That's not good enough, General."

"I say it is." I raised my hands and pulled Force energies through me. A moment later, electricity arched around my fingers as I prepared to unleash a Lighting Storm if the local security services proved too bullheaded.

I had my doubts that Bo would go quietly and that she would be safe if in custody – assassinating her while temporarily imprisoned would be much easier.

"What the kriff are you all doing?!" Brox snapped.

"Well, I'm not surrendering either myself or one of my associates in the hands of people who might be Death Watch or CIS supporters. Besides, those don't look like they're up to the task of capturing me. I could feel it in their emotions – most of them are no warriors." I smiled thinly.

"That's a lie! We're here to uphold Mandalorian law!" The LT snapped back.

"Mandalorian law? I think not. New Mandalorian bantha-poodo? That I'll give you." I smiled. "Last time I was here, dealing with a bunch of fools who attacked you while you had a drink in a bar was something no one would have bat an eye at – besides joining the fun in crushing the fools who started the mess."

"That's been unacceptable ever since the Civil War."

"Is it, really?" I asked, addressing the crowd. "So neither of you can legally deal with someone being foolish enough to attack you while you're having a drink or a bite to eat? I thought that I was on Mandalore, surrounded by Mandalorians, but I'm obviously mistaken."

There were both laughter and jeers coming from the crowd. One thing was sure – everyone on the planet would soon know about this accident and some of them would start asking pointed questions.

"Sir, I… but… I see." The LT spoke to someone over his comm. "General Veil," he hissed my name, "your presence has been requested in the Royal Palace. That of your companion too."

"Well, well. So Satine would want to slap my wrist for protecting myself. How did she get in charge of Mandalore I'll never know. These idiots are coming with me to the Republic embassy and then we'll see what your supposed leader has to say about this mess." I stared at the LT.

He listened to someone over his comm and nodded sharply. "That will be acceptable."

**=RK=**

**Satine's chambers**

**Sundari Royal Palace**

**Sundari  
Mandalore**

"What? This better be important!" Satine snapped after she found her comm.

"Ma'am, there was an some kind of an attack in the city. Explosions and heavy blaster fire were reported."

"I see. Keep me informed." The Duchess cut off the line.

"I have the strange feeling that Delkatar is a part of this." Obi-Wan muttered. The Jedi was lying naked under the sheets next to her.

Satine turned looked at her lover. "I should have known." She sighed. "That man is a walking disaster zone."

"True enough."

The comm unit chimed again. The Duchess picked it up."Yes, report."

"We have multiple calls about a Death Watch attack on a place called Brox's Bar. Missiles, grenades, heavy repeater fire. Whatever's happening it's a warzone down there. We've mobilized quick response units as well as Mandalorian Security."

"Good. Give me a call when you know what's exactly is happening."

"Understood."

"We better get up." Satine sighed and stood up. The sheet fell from her naked figure and the sight of her body made Kenobi shiver.

"Ahem, yes. That would be prudent." Obi-Wan muttered.

He was still trying to figure out did he made a mistake in sleeping with Satine… though doing it felt anything but wrong.

**=RK=**

**Part 4**

**Sundari Royal Palace**

**Sundari  
Mandalore**

"I hope the reunion with your sister would go well." I quipped when we reached the palace grounds.

"Not kriffing likely. It's Satine." Bo grumbled.

The security personnel surrounding us did their best to pretend they weren't hearing this particular conversation.

"Well, she couldn't have been this bad when she become the leader of your people. She wouldn't have lived this long if she was… Right?"

Bo-Katan grumbled something so quiet I couldn't hear it. "I didn't catch that."

"After the war, there were a lot of people who wanted peace and someone who would rebuild in charge. Satine… she got enough support to become our nominal leader, though that was more because many simply didn't care, the rest were either away from our worlds or in the Death Watch – the latter simply didn't have the numbers to be relevant. They took catastrophic loses during the war."

"I see. Any idea how to make your sister get her head out of her ass? I would prefer that she doesn't get herself killed. Apparently one of my generals is sweet on her."

"What? Satine with a boyfriend? Heh. Not bloody likely. She's too busy preaching about peace and pacifism, not that many are listening mind you."

"Well… Kenobi's a Jedi, the poor bastard, though a dose of Mandalorian culture would serve him well."

"Many of us don't see Satine as Mandalorian." Bo snapped, then she smiled. "A Jedi, eh? That might do it, however I don't know what they would do in bed – discus philosophy or something?"

"I can see why." I nodded. "Obi-Wan isn't a fossil like most of his Order, so he might actually know what to do with a woman."

"I don't buy it."

The pair of honor guards protecting the audience chamber gave us sharp nods and opened the doors. They made a halting gesture and the security left us enter without escort.

Inside we found Satine on her throne. She was wearing a simple green dress and her hair spilled freely over her shoulders. Obi-Wan and the Prime Minister were flanking her and talking quietly. The Duchess looked our way and froze when she recognized Bo-Katan. I could clearly sense her shock from the doors. Beside that I could feel irritation and frustration coming from her along with sorrow – for the dead I assumed.

The Prime Minister – he was concerned and curious. The moment he saw Bo, his concern spiked.

Obi-Wan was the most interesting of the trio. The Jedi felt somewhat calmer – more balanced, satisfied even. I could still sense his inner turmoil. While it had been growing ever since I met the man, now it was subdued – a stark contrast from the emotions he radiated during our previous meeting here. How curious.

Kenobi recognized my companion, then looked between her and Satine. It took him only a moment to figure it out that they were sisters.

My eyes widened. Every time Obi-Wan laid eyes on Satine, I could feel longing and lust coming from the Jedi – the latter was absent just a few hours before, there was simple attraction then. I smiled. Who knew that Obi-Wan had it in him? Unless I was very much mistaken, he got lucky tonight.

"Bo-Katan!" Satine hissed when we reached the throne.

"Sister." My companion sneered back.

"I should have known that you would be all over this mess. You always loved to make my life difficult." The Duchess spat.

Oh, my. There was no love lost between those two.

"You too! What the kriff were you thinking?!" Satine glared at me. "Veil, you've been here for just a few hours and there's already open warfare on my streets."

"This is Mandalore. The occasional skirmish is normal."

"Not under my rule!" Satine snapped.

"Oh? You've been actually ruling? That's a news to me."

"Delkatar! What happened?" Obi-Wan raised his voice.

"The usual. I went to a bar to meet a friend." I nodded at Bo-Katan, who smirked. "Then the Death Watch decided to try and kill us. It was just like the old times on Mandalore." I grinned. "What about you? You're feeling unusually chipper this evening. The Duchess is a bit disheveled and the way you're looking at her..." I trailed off.

"What? I'm just..." Obi-Wan spluttered.

"Yep." Bo nodded. "My sister look like she just got laid. It's been a long time, hasn't it Satine? And with a Jedi of all people..." Bo shook her head in disappointment, though I could feel only amusement coming from her.

"We didn't..."

"Really? Obi-Wan, I had such trust in you! Are you telling me that you couldn't perform? I'm disappointed in you, my friend. You see," I raised my hands and wigged my fingers, "There are fingers, tongue too and then there's the Force." I grinned, making Kenobi go red – something that was shared by the Duchess.

They looked at each other.

"Oh, that's cute. Did you really think that I wouldn't notice?"

"ENOUGH!" The Prime Minister snapped. "We aren't here to discus what the Duchess did or didn't do in her spare time! It's your actions that brought us here!"

"Really? I merely dispatched a group of assassins. The survivors are nicely tucked up in the embassy awaiting interrogation. Instead of doing that and possibly finding a way to break the Death Watch, I'm here. Why?"

"General Veil!" Satine glared at me. "You're threading a thin line. Your actions today are grounds to declare you a persona non-grate and throw you out of Mandalorian space."

"You won't." I sneered back. "If you do, I'll consider Mandalore a clear and present danger to the Republic and remove it as such."

Satine recoiled at my words and Obi-Wan blanched.

"You're serious." Kenobi muttered.

"I was hoping that you would talk some sense in the Duchess before trying to seduce her. Or did she seduce you?" I shrugged. "There's only one outcome that might keep your worlds and people reasonably intact, Duchess – it's an alliance with the Republic. Anything else is unacceptable." I took a deep breath. "Bo – she's your sister, try talking some sense in her."

"She never listens!" My companion protested.

"Try anyway. Kenobi, a word!" I waved the Jedi to follow and headed to the crystal windows covering the left side of the chambers.


	85. Chapter 24 Parts 5&6

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 24: Mandalorian dreams**

**=RK=**

**Part 5**

**Sundari Royal Palace**

**Sundari  
Mandalore**

"Veil! What the kriff is wrong with you?" I beamed at Kenobi's uncharacteristic cursing. His Jedi indoctrination was falling apart much sooner than anticipated.

"First, congratulations for losing your virginity." I grinned.

"What? I wasn't a virgin, damn it!"

"Oh, so you've been a bad, bad boy before we met!" My grin widened. "Good for you. Second, couldn't you beside seducing the Duchess and getting laid in the process, talk a bit of sense in her?"

"That's now what happened! I didn't seduce her!" Obi-Wan didn't sound very convincing.

"So she seduced you? That's it. You aren't negotiating again. Ever. At leas was she any good? The stories I've heard about Mandalorian women..."

I leaned back just in time to avoid being slugged. Woah. Who knew that getting laid would have such an effect on Kenobi? That should be mandatory for all Jedi – it obviously made them act more like people than robots.

"Down boy. Congratulations. When are you becoming full fledged Mandalorian?"

"What?!" That stopped Obi-Wan in his tracks.

"There's a reason I haven't slept with Mandalorian women back in my time – there are certain expectation that come with the territory. Like becoming a Mandalorian. If you don't, once Satine's indiscretion comes to light, what little credibility she has left will immediately evaporate."

"That's… krifff..." Kenobi blanched. He was getting pale too.

"Didn't think about that, did you?"

"What we did is no one's business!" Obi-Wan snapped.

"Please. I know that you aren't that naive."

"You won't be going out heralding it!" Kenobi snapped.

"Why? It can only enhance your considerable reputation."

"Veil!" Obi-Wan hissed.

"Then, there's Bo, who isn't too fond of her sister, the Prime Minister, who might decide to cut off his loses and throw the delectable Duchess under the airbus, that adviser, the palace guards who are certainly to know what you two were up to..." I trailed off. I couldn't keep the cheer out of my voice.

"This is a disaster!" Obi-Wan moaned.

"What? Are you afraid that the Council will kick you out for being human?"

"For blowing up the negotiations? For letting my feeling rule me?"

"Stop playing the victim. You just got laid and considering how you and the Duchess felt when I entered this room, you both liked it. Right? Besides, this is an opportunity!"

For a moment, Obi-Wan become beef red, then he shook his head and narrowed his eyes at me.

"What are you scheming now?"

"Well, we have various problems on Mandalore." I beamed at the Jedi Master. "You just gave me a way to solve most of them, though certain sacrifices are to be made. You may even enjoy some of them." I chuckled. Yep. This might work. At the very least, it was going to buy me some time.

"I know that look." Obi-Wan's voice grew suspicious.

"First, you're going to quit the Jedi Order." I chuckled at his dumbstruck expression.

"What? Are you out of your kriffing mind?!" Kenobi exclaimed.

"Oh, shut up and listen." I snapped. "You made your bed and now you're going to lay in it. You and Satine just gave me a potential way to save Mandalore. Is your pride worth the millions who will die if we kriff up our mission here?"

Obi-Wan glared at me but remained silent.

"Good. Second, you're going to officially hook up with the Duchess." I pointed at her behind my back. "After that you're adopting the Mandalorian culture with a gusto and becoming the best kriffing Mandalorian warrior that this rock has seen in the last few thousand years."

"That's your plan?! It's insane!" Obi-Wan spat.

"Then we will ensure that you become Mandalore so the warriors will flock behind you instead of joining the Death Watch and the Separatists. That way we'll short-circuit the worst of the impending civil war, use our forces to aid the Mandalorians in eliminating the CIS fleet presence here and in the nearby sectors. Oh, yeah – Mandalore becomes an ally of the Republic too, so I don't have to go old fashioned Sith on the place. It's a win-win situation. Besides, if you're lucky you got to marry your Duchess and have a hot steaming sex with her on regular basis. A win-win situation if I ever saw one." I beamed. "Is she a screamer by the way?" I asked idly.

I was too busy congratulating myself about my latest brainstorm, that I didn't react fast enough when Obi-Wan's fist rocketed my way again.

"Ouch. If you try this again, I'll slug you back." I snapped at the fuming Jedi. "This plan's our best chance, so you're getting one for the team and might even like it so man up!"

"Veil, you're an utter and unrepentant bastard." Obi-Wan hissed. There was loathing… and was that admiration in his voice?

"Thanks for the compliment." The man was already practically a Gray Jedi so I was successful on that front at least.

**=RK=**

"Long time no see, sis. Have you managed to utterly destroy our Clan's reputation yet?" Bo-Katan sneered.

"Our reputation as murderers, you mean? I hear you keep it up nicely." Satine spat back.

"You're a disgrace for Mandalore." Bo snipped back.

"Only for the old bastards who refuse to see that their ways are obsolete!"

"Naive much? What has your way brought us? We are on the eve of destruction because of you and the New Mandalorians!" Bo-Katan snapped.

"Nonsense! It's all because of your kind – fools who cling to our past as the scourge of the galaxy that we're in this position! If it wasn't for the Death Watch, this war would have never come to our doorsteps!"

"You're a fool, Satine! The vaulted clone army of the Republic? The template was a Mandalorian! It's trained by Mandalorians!" Bo-Katan hissed. "We've been neck deep in this war even before it began!"

Satine recoiled back as if her sister punched her in the gut.

"That man over there?" The Mandalorian warrior pointed at Veil, "He's a Sith, Satine. He will burn our world and love every moment of it unless we support the Republic. We don't have the forces to give him pause. The Separatists? They would do the same. Why, you may ask? Because we are too weak to have a voice! It's join or die, all because of you! Mandalore is about to die, because of your blindness!"

The Duchess stared at her sister open-mouthed.

"Was is worth it?" Bo-Katan sneered. "What did your policies give us? What are you going to do now?"

"We have to remain neutral. It's our only option." Satine shook her head in denial.

"Yours you mean. Oh, I know it. If you chose a side, the New Mandalorians will throw you away. If you don't, one will be chosen for us. Don't you get it, sister?! We don't want to be neutral even if that was an option! This war – it makes our blood sing! It's in our blood! It's what, who we are! Open your eyes, Satine!" Bo-Katan implored.

"They're opened! I can't bring war and suffering to our people! Never again! Did you forget the Civil War? What it cost us all?!"

"I do." Bo-Katan's voice was quiet. "I lost as much as you did, sister. However, that didn't break me!" The warrior woman shouted. "I can still see the galaxy as it is instead as what I wish it to be! No matter what you or the New Mandalorian wanted – we Mandalorians aren't pacifists. We aren't peaceful people. We are warriors, Satine. War is in our blood."

"We had more than a decade of peace under my rule! Why did you all want to throw it away to join the war?" Satine snapped.

"Isn't it obvious, sister? We merely existed under your care. This war – it makes our hearts race. It calls to us, to what we are. You are supposed to be our leader, Satine. Your people are screaming that they want to fight! There are only two questions – on whose side would we fight… and who will lead us. You have an unique opportunity, Satine. You can restore our Clan's honor. You can lead our people into a new age – or go down as a traitor to everything that we as Mandalorians stand for!"

**=RK=**

**Part 6**

**Sundari Royal Palace**

**Sundari  
Mandalore**

"This is madness!" Obi-Wan snapped.

Satine didn't look too much against my plan – well, she seemed receptive of the part where she hooked up with Kenobi, preferably in a way he won't be able to escape her clutches.

"That's a first. I would have to agree with the Jedi." Bo-Katan frowned.

That put a damper on my good cheer.

"Why? It's perfect! Just look at him!" I pointed at Obi-Wan. "A genuine warrior who has won a lot of victories and glory."

"A kriffing Jedi. No one would believe that he would put the Mandalorian's well being before the Republic and his Order." Bo snapped.

"I won't and I'm a New Mandalorian through and through." The Prime Minister supported my companion. "We've been at odds with the Jedi and the Republic for more than five thousand years. Nearly five in fact."

Ah. Kriff. That little fact did escape me. Sometimes I did forgot when I was – especially since I arrived at this place. Mandalore was inducing a lot of nostalgia even if it was quite the different place from what I remembered – the place simply felt similar, familiar.

"It's irrelevant anyway. No matter what I may wish," Obi-Wan grit his teeth, "I can't leave the Jedi Order. Not now! With Anakin's trial coming soon, if I did anything to show that I would follow my heart in spite of the Jedi teachings, it would tear apart the Order. That something that you know, am I right?" Kenobi glared at me.

"That would be a possible outcome." I nodded diplomatically. "There are less than ten thousand Jedi. There are billions of people on this world alone." I smiled.

"That's low blow." Obi-Wan snapped. "You know, I was almost convinced that your nay-Sayers in the Order were mistaken, yet here we are." He glared at me.

"Hey! Being here and now wasn't my idea. I didn't create this mess either – it's all your girlfriend's fault!" I snapped back. "I'm merely trying find an acceptable alternative.

"Really? It's just an coincidence that your plan puts me in impossible position? If the Order sunders, there won't be any real opposition if you go on the deep end."

"Perhaps. I didn't force you to sleep with the Duchess. I didn't sent you to seduce her, or did she seduce you?" I shrugged. "I'm merely taking an advantage of an opportunity."

"An opportunity to deal the Order a blow it may not recover from?" Obi-Wan snapped. "I know that we, the Jedi, have our problems. That's no reason to destroy the Order! I won't let myself be used in such a way!"

"What choice is there?" Satine muttered. "He's right!" She pointed at me. "If we do nothing, Mandalore burns – either at his hands or because of Death Watch."

"Without the Jedi Order, the whole galaxy may well follow! Even if I trusted him without reservation!" Another finger pointed at my chest, "He's not the only Sith!"

"Hey! I'm the only real one!" I snapped back. Sidious, Dooku and their pose were nothing but pretentious Dark Jedi, even if their leader was really powerful. "Besides, when did she start making sense?" It was my turn to point fingers and mine targeted Satine.

"Delkatar, you've been away for a long time." Bo-Katan sighed. "The Mandalore you know, is just a legend now. The warriors you're comparing us to, might have followed a Jedi. The stories are clear – they would have loved to follow Revan after he crushed them at Malachor V. Today? There has been too much bad blood. Too many conflicts with bitter resolution. We as a people aren't ready to follow a Jedi… Perhaps even Revan. Besides, he was a Sith at the end." She smiled bitterly. "Your Jedi friend… If we put him forward for Mandalore that would guarantee a civil war. Just enough warriors would support him to ensure it, but even more will flock to the Death Watch."

"What then? You know your people better than me. Is there someone outside those idiots who can be a viable candidate?"

"If there was, they would have stepped up to prevent the impending civil war. We have seen the writing on the wall, Delkatar. We don't want to fight against each other. However, there simply isn't a figure who can unite us. Not a Mandalorian at least." Bo muttered. She was looking at me funny. Then she smiled in a pleased way.

All my warning bells started screaming.

"A Jedi would be unacceptable. However, you gave me an idea." Her smile grew. Her eyes twinkled with mischief. "There's another General who covered himself with honor and glory in the war. A warrior who many will follow. A Sith." Bo was grinning at me.

"This is madness. If the senate even thinks about it, they would move to have me dismissed from the army. A lot of the non-clone officers will support them too. It would be seen as a Sith taking steps to rebuild the Empire."

"Perhaps." Bo-Katan smiled wickedly. "You'll have to make certain sacrifices, that's true. Will that stop you from doing the right thing? The honorable thing? Mandalore needs you. You said that Mandalore the Dauntless was a dear friend of yours. Will you let his people fall when you can stop it?"

"The Council will lose it too. They will think that your people will be his personal army." Obi-Wan groaned.

"If he becomes a Mandalore worthy of the title, we will be." Bo poured more fuel on the fire and relished every moment of it.

"You're telling me the nicest things." I sighed. The worst thing was that I was tempted, oh so tempted. It would throw most of my plans of disarray, yet the promise of power, real power not beholden to the politician on Coruscant or more importantly to Sidious was, was incredible.

Bo-Katan walked next to me.

"I beseech you, help me save my people." She paused. "Our people. I fought you. I fought beside you. I know that you have more in common with a Mandalorian warrior than anyone else living in today's galaxy. Please."

The very thought of an army that would be _mine_ was intoxicating. I looked Bo-Katan in the eyes. I didn't thing that there was anyone in this day and age who could read me so well.

"What about you? What do you want?" I asked.

She smiled wickedly. "To fight beside you. Perhaps more, if you're up to the task. You still owe me a sparring match." Bo leaned closer.

"Stop flirting already!" Satine snapped. "A Sith Lord for Mandalore! Are you insane sister?"

Bo-Katan turned to face the Duchess.

"Who else? Your boyfriend will be unacceptable. It would take years for him to disperse the taint of being a Jedi, a peacekeeper – all thanks to your policies I might add. We're about to enter war as divided people. Without strong leadership we're doomed. It will be a repeat of the Civil War but a hundred times worse!" She looked back at me. "I know what your original plan was. It wasn't too hard to figure out – pushing me forward as Mandalore. If we had a few more months, perhaps an year, it might have worked. Now? I'm no one – just another warrior who supported Death Watch. Even worse," Bo nodded at Satine, "she's my sister. So that's not in the pazaak hand we've been dealt."

Do you know what the worst thing was? Any credible refusal I could give would be a self-serving one. After all, the reasons I had to refuse were simple – unless I played my card perfectly and had a lot of luck, becoming Mandalore would be tying my hands and reducing the power I now wielded. Doing so would also bring much more scrutiny than I had to face right now.

Of course, I couldn't go out and say any of that. After all, my plans for the future wouldn't be exactly welcome by the present company, Bo excluded.

After all, I had already decided that the Republic as it existed today was an obstacle to preparing the galaxy for the Vong.


	86. Chapter 24 Part 7

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Phase 24: Mandalorian dreams**

**=RK=**

**Part 7**

**Sundari Royal Palace**

**Sundari  
Mandalore**

"Me becoming a Mandalore? That would be a disaster for various reasons." I sighed. By the Emperor's shriveled balls, how in the nine Corellian hells did Bo think of this?!

"Like what?" The warrior woman gave me a sweet smile… while her voice was similar in tone and volume to that of a particularly pissed off drill instructor.

"Hi, Bo-Katan. It's Veil – the Dark Lord of the Sith. How do you think that the Senate and the Jedi Council will react when they learn of this idea?"

"They won't be thrilled." The saner until now Kryze sister shrugged.

"Veil." Obi-Wan cleared his throat. "Whatever they do if you become Mandalore, it would be worse if I was to get that title. Kenobi the Warlord, Obi-Wan the traitor… I can already hear them." The Jedi Master spoke in a dry voice. "Let's not forget that you'll get blamed on corrupting me. So – it will be much, much worse. After all that idea of yours would prove everything the more conservative Council members say about you – corrupting Jedi, making them warlords, preparing to conquer the galaxy – then torture and kill everyone for fun."

"Seriously? I need a better PR department for when I take over the galaxy."

"Try co-oping Satine's." Bo grumbled and got my attention.

"Her's that good?"

"Hey! I'm right here."

"How do you think she remained in power for so long given her policies? This is Mandalore!" Bo growled.

"I have to admit that our government has an excellent PR department." The Prime Minister added even if he looked a bit embarrassed to admit it.

"Good to know. It's likely that I'll get kicked out of my position as general in the GAR." I tried again.

"Unlikely. If the rest of the officers have any brains they would scream bloody murder – you're one of the few Republic generals who know what the kriff they are doing." Bo didn't buy my next argument.

"Besides, if you're Mandalore, you'll have an army anyway. One arguably better, though we do lack a decent sized fleet and some other equipment." Almec supported my companion. At least he was seeing which was the wind was blowing.

"Even if all that's true, I can't possibly help coordinate and plan a galaxy wide war, command an army and be Mandalore at the same time."

"There will be a lot of warriors willing to help you." Bo beamed. "Even a few competent administrators from my sister's government might prove useful." She glanced at the Prime Minister.

"Valentra will be thrilled at the reinforcements. I'll help take some of the load too." Obi-Wan added brightly, the bastard. "I'm sure that Pellaeon will help as well."

I wasn't going to point out that accepting the position will leave me with no time for scheming to speak off… which was a problem because I had a lot of schemes going on. Same for scrutiny – even if the Mandalorians were going to like most of what I was up to, I couldn't allow my endgame plans to become a public knowledge. Not at this junction… Perhaps…

"The Senate and GAR High Command will put me under so much scrutiny that I won't be able to do my kriffing job!" I tried again.

"You're a Sith. You'll deal." Kenobi was positively unhelpful.

"Besides, you'll get personal guard as per tradition. They will be able to run interference when necessary!" Bo-Katan beamed at me. She was liking this, the infernal woman!

I was running out of arguments too. I couldn't say that I didn't want the job – becoming Mandalore was a great honor, kriff it all. Declining it, even the possibility of trying to be one would destroy me in the eyes of the Mandalorians – the present company included.

"Have you thought what would happen if I become Mandalore? The CIS will throw everything they have available against you. We may not be able to hold such an assault."

"Really? This is your argument?" Bo rolled her eyes. "You almost sound as you don't want the job." She said accusingly. "If we ally with the Republic, with you – they will be coming against us with everything they have anyway. In that case you'll be gaining a Mandalorian army, so they will be doing their best to kill us all… after we've been weakened by an inevitable civil war." Bo sighed.

"While I hate to agree with my sister..." Satine trailed off, "That might be Mandalore's best chance."

Kriff it all! I didn't have the time for this! Yes, becoming Mandalore would be great boon – especially long term… However, it would prove a major distraction, I just knew it. Perhaps big enough to prove fatal. As things stood, I already had too many hast to fill.

On the other hand, I was in a kriffed up position. With the shenanigans coming from Coruscant, I would be blamed no matter the outcome. Yet… plan A was on hold or destroyed – it would depend on Padme recovering and Anakin retaining something resembling a positive reputation after the trial. With Amidala out of the game, perhaps permanently, I lost her political contacts and thus allies.

Kriff. I needed a stable power base that couldn't be pulled from under my feet with an lawful order by the Chancellor. For the time being he simply couldn't remove me that way, not without committing a political suicide. However when I inevitably kriffed up – with or without Sidious' assistance – that would change.

The truth was that I needed the power-base that Mandalore represented almost as much as they needed my help.

"Let's talk terms. I have some conditions if I'm to do my damn best to become Mandalore."

Bo beamed at me. The woman looked almost ready to hug and kiss the kriff out of me. She felt like that in the Force too. Satine on the other hand was resigned, while Almec was hopeful.

Kenobi on the other hand was relieved, the bastard. I smiled. I had plans for him too. He wasn't getting scratch free from this fiasco either.

Then had to suppress a frown. I could feel only vague buzzing from the aide. The man was trained to hide his thoughts and feelings from the Force – something he didn't bother use during our previous meeting. How curios – needless to say, that had my alarm bells ringing. That man wasn't going to blab about this meeting before we were ready to go public – I had to make sure of that.

"Terms?" Bo frowned after a moment. Yep, she was going to resent the very idea that I wasn't jumping with joy at very mention of the idea she proposed.

"One of the reason I wanted him as a possible candidate," I nodded at Obi-Wan," is that he would be great in facilitating the transition between the current government, a military one aiding Mandalore in ruling as well as in smoothing over things on the Republic side."

"In theory that's true. I'm a capable negotiator." Kenobi nodded. There was no trace of pride in his words – they were just a simple statement of facts.

"You're going to do that anyway." I smiled. "The good news is you won't be quitting the Order." My smile turned mischievous. "That concerns you too, Duchess. I can't have a government crisis on my hands at this time."

"Fat chance." Bo muttered.

"First, you two -" I waved at Kenobi and Satine,"get officially hooked up. I don't really care if you have a real relationship, sleep with each other, get married or whatever. I want at least a believable pretense anyway."

"What?!" Obi-Wan exclaimed in surprise.

At the same time, Satine looked torn between indignation, anger and being quite pleased by the prospect. Kenobi didn't appear to be against the idea either.

"Obi-Wan, you're getting to be an adviser, ambassador and general – for Mandalore. By remaining a Jedi you can convince both the Order and the Senate that you're taking one for the team in order to monitor me and make sure that I won't go on the deep end."

"That's insane!" Kenobi spluttered.

"Tough. You'll have to sell it anyway. Misery likes company and all that. Besides, would you trust me with a Mandalorian army at my back if the Jedi overreact again and you aren't here to keep my response saneish?" I smiled.

"That's blackmail!" Obi-Wan snapped back.

"Whatever works. You all want to make me a damn politician besides everything else I have on my plate. You're all helping." I turned my attention to Satine. "YOU! I have no words for how much you kriffed up." The Duchess glared pure murder at me – all points I bought myself by trying to hook her and Kenobi up just evaporated.

I couldn't care any less.

"You, are getting in touch with your PR people. The task is to convince Mandalore and the Republic that when you took power, it was a response to the death and destruction caused by the Civil War."

"That's true." Satine looked confused.

"Then," I pointedly ignored her, "your are to convince them that all you really wanted was to rebuild Mandalorian space and give a time for your people to recover before the next war, so they could once again be the warriors you know them to be. For that to happen, you needed to rebuild both the civilian and military infrastructure first. Unfortunately, thanks to the CIS, your plan was only partially successful. Now all Mandalorians have to do their best to protect their homes and prove to everyone that they are the honorable warriors everyone believe them to be. If presented right, that should appease both the average Mando as well as your supporters. I don't need them sabotaging the war effort."

"Well, that's a great idea." Bo smirked. "Sister, if you do this right, only the Death Watch will be trying to kill instead of what we have today - most self-respecting warriors wanting your head on a pike."

Satine groaned and Kenobi winced at that statement. The most interesting were the reactions of Satine's people – they were unfazed by that declaration. Totally unsurprised. So they knew the score too, though the Duchess was either blind or didn't care. Since she appeared to be an idealist, it was probably the latter.

"That should be doable… with a bit of luck." Almec nodded. He was very pleased at my latest idea, though I wasn't sure if it was because it was likely to keep Satine alive or him in a position of power.

"Is that all?" The Duchess asked in a frosty tone.

"Of course not!" I glared at her. The woman was in a sore need of a reality check. That would be one of Kenobi's tasks. I thought that he'll be eager to do it – the man was apparently smitten with Satine and would like to keep the impossible woman alive. Kriff it, she was as bad as Padme.

"If this insanity is going to work, I'll need ASAP meetings with the most powerful and influential Clan heads – briefings on them too."

"I'll see to it." The Prime Minister stated.

I was starting to think that Almec was running the government with Satine being a little better than a figurehead, though she was probably going to disagree with that assessment.

"Now the space slug in the room – the Death Watch. We need them neutralized yesterday. I won't have a major civil war on my hand, though purging the die-hards is going to be inevitable."

"That's true. My former comrades have a core of followers who are fanatically devoted to Vizsla. Then there are outright criminals – they will oppose a purge, especially the slavers. Your thought on that had reached their ears and they will fight." Bo nodded at me.

"Good. Those bastards need to die. I won't condone slavery in any place under my authority." I hissed aloud, letting them all hear the steel in my voice.

"How do we deal with the Death Watch?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Propaganda. The warriors who joined because they saw no other alternative – I need them. We are going to persuade them that a Mandalore – me – is what they have been searching for. I'll be offering them honor, glory and most importantly – victory."

"That might work." Almec mussed.

"Second – expose the Death Watch. Bo-Katan has some information on their shady activities. We strike at any illegal operation they have in this system, do our best to take prisoners and break them thus finding out more. The assassins we have in custody will be a good starting point – in fact I'll be interrogating them before we act on Bo's information." I didn't add that a lot of her knowledge was going to be obsolete. The assassination attempt proved that.

"Anything else?"

"I have proof that the Death Watch betrayed the last of the True Mandalorians and led a Jedi Strike team to their location." I smiled.

"That's a two-edged sword." Obi-Wan sighed.

"You'll hardly have to prove yourself any more in light of that information. You're already a Jedi Master and as far as I know you had nothing to do with that debacle."

"No. I was here, protecting Satine at that time." Kenobi shook his head.

"So you two have been lovebirds for that long and yet there are no marriage or kids? Do you really know what to do in bed with each other?"

Next to me, Bo-Katan didn't even try stopping her laughter.

The rest looked either stricken by my words or embarrassed. Ah yeah. "Diplomats" weren't supposed to act like me. Heh. It wasn't like being all polite and gentle would have helped me in this mess. I was a bastard of a Sith Lord and had a reputation to keep.

"Next – armed forces. I have contacts who will be able to provide some quantity of weapons and armor as well as purchase more. That will help. I need to know how's the Mandalorian military industrial complex nowadays. We'll need small arms, armors, combat vehicles and most importantly ships – and a lot of them."

"I recommend you speak first with with Horus Yogamet – the chairman and of MandalMotors. He's also one of the most influential Clan leaders." Almec said.

"Good. I'll need a briefing on him and a meeting first thing tomorrow."

"I'll arrange it." The Prime Minister nodded.

"How can you provide weapons?"

"One of the special operations groups under my command is currently posing as a PMC. They will help." I didn't add that they were likely to back me even if I went against the Republic.

"That's useful and probably outside of your authority."

"Republic Intelligence knows and actually helps. Valentra too." I smiled. I had my bases covered. It was pure accident that after the attacks on Coruscant and Windu's stunt, none of the above really trusted the Jedi or the Senate.

"Our sparing match." Bo smiled wickedly at me. "We should make it public so people could see you fight in person."

I stared at her and slowly nodded. Only and idiot would have thought that she didn't have ulterior motives for that suggestion. By the Force, why did she have to be a gorgeous red head besides everything else? This was another complication I didn't need, though I had the sneaking suspicion that it was one that I might enjoy very much.

"This is a good starting point." Obi-Wan declared.

"Indeed. We have an interrogation to run." I nodded at Bo, who looked eager. From what I felt coming from her, she was one to keep a grudge. Good to know. "We should have a liaison with your people." I waved at Satine. "Your adviser will do. He's coming at us so he can rely to you anything else I can thing of tonight." My voice broke no argument.


	87. Interludes: Mad Science

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Interludes: Mad Science **

**=RK=**

**Interlude: Rebirth I**

**Republic R&amp;D Center**

**Location classified**

**Coruscant**

"Dr. Solumn, it's almost done." The single blood and flesh surgeon in the room in front of the Director spoke aloud.

The Human medic was busy overseeing six spherical medical droids which were working on a clone trooper who had been grievously wounded a few months ago.

"Is it going to work?" Solumn asked.

"It's too early to say sir – though the initial tests we're running are positive. The subject will live this time, that much I can promise."

"We need much more than simple survival or even partial recovery." The Director mussed. "Besides, the latter can be achieved with commercially available meditech."

"I'm know, sir. However adding so much tech into a body, especially one as wounded as Ark here was..." The Human shrugged.

"We both know that it's not impossible. There are more than a handful cyborgs more enhanced that our prototype here." Solumn looked unimpressed.

"True, sir. However, there's one huge difference – they're practically an work of art – not something than can really be mass produced. Further, we don't have access to the research of the people who did those enhancements, Most are beyond Republic space and those here are very well hidden." The surgeon grumbled.

"What are the prospects for Ark?" Solumn sighed.

"Quite good actually. His missed limbs were replaced with state of the art combat prosthetic – we built them from lightweight armor alloy for increased durability. They will make him about four times stronger." The surgeon sounded proud of himself.

"We were expecting ten-fold strength increase." The Director wasn't impressed.

"I know. There's a problem with the connections to the blood and flesh body – those joints simply aren't durable enough. In latter models which are more enhanced than Ark here, that problem will be solved. Speaking about durability – we've coated his bones with bio-neutral ceramic alloy which makes them very hard to break. Further, his spine is reinforced by cybernetic implants and so is his skull."

"That's good to know. Side effects?"

"We had to implant him with couple of devices that help his bone marrow generate the proper amount of blood cells. We even went a step further and poached a few thing from Project Ascension – his blood is not more efficient, coagulates much faster and as a beneficial side effect, Ark will be highly resistant to a lot of poisons and toxins."

"Well, that's good at least. Still we'll need much more than this."

"We know, Director. Ark here's just our first prototype. We're just finishing installing his bacta injectors and will start on the sub-dermal armor grafts soon. That will give him unprecedented survivability in combat, though nothing like what we're planning. Unfortunately, a lot of the tech we'll need for Stage II is still theoretical or in the early stages of development. The good news is if Arky here's successful, we'll be able to return tens of thousands of soldiers back to the field withing four months. What we learn from Stage I will be invaluable for the next part of this project."

"Hmm… This is better than I feared, though not as good as I hoped."

"We'll get the job done as soon as possible, Director."

**=RK=**

**Ascension I**

**Republic R&amp;D Center**

**Location classified**

**Coruscant**

"Director!" Doctor Scrin – a Kaminoan mercenary, who was the leader of project Ascension exclaimed when she saw the Duros enter her domain. "You're just in time." She waved a long, thin arm at him and smiled. "The first batch of volunteers will be decanned shortly."

"From your reports I understand that Stage I has been an unmitigated success." Solumn stated after he nodded a greeting.

"Indeed!" Scrin's head bobbed over her long neck and she beamed. "Here we aren't constrained by what peak species performance is supposed to be." The scientist scoffed at the mere idea that her work should stop at what evolution had achieved.

"That was never the idea. We need something more." The Director nodded in agreement. Thanks to this war, they were not only allowed but expected to push the boundaries of science beyond what anyone had dreamed in ages. It truly was a great time to be a scientist!

"We have reasonable safe gene therapy that can bring people to their species peak performance within three months. Once that has been tested," Scrin grinned, "We'll be ready to push further into the next level."

"Good. Walk me through what you've achieved." The Director ordered as they walked further into the facility.

"First were the easy things – stimulating muscle growth, increasing bone density without compromising the skeleton, making the blood more efficient." Scrin waved a hand. "We got that done by combining already existing research and therapies then improving upon them. It took a couple of months, but it was quite simple." The woman spoke dismissively.

"You did much more than that." Solumn stated as they reached a sealed door.

"Of course!" Scrin scoffed and went to the scanner on the left side of the door. "We improved reflexes and reaction times by tweaking neurotransmitters and upgrading the nervous system. As a side effect, our test subject have increased pain thresholds, but their appendages are a bit numb." The Doctor shrugged as if it wasn't a problem.

The door slid open and revealed a large chamber filled with hundreds of bacta tanks. Almost all of them were full with beings of various species.

"We also tweaked various organs to make them more efficient, especially when processing various toxins and poisons are concerned. Thanks to the changes, Stage I subjects are expected to have a minimal resistance to nerve agents, though they will be by no means immune to them."

"Useful. How do they compare to the Clones?"

"At least as strong. Some will have better reflexes and they will be healing faster. The main issue was tweaking the gene therapy to work on many species. If we were going to improve just humans, Stage I would have been complete two months ago."

"I see. Good work. What have you cooking up for the next stage?" Solumn sounded quite satisfied with what was done.

"This will be the fun part – even more efficient organs as well as adding redundancies for anything vital. We already have thirty percent success rate in adding a secondary hearts in humans." Scrin beamed.

"Benefits?"

"Harder to kill subjects. With the improved blood we're developing, they will heal three to four times faster. The downside as with most of our enhancements will be increased calorie consumptions to fuel them."

"That was a given." Solumn nodded. There always were trade-offs. Scrin's job was to make the benefits worth it.

"We're looking into further strength and speed increase – about four to five times the norm. That would allow soldiers to carry heavy armor and weapons and will make outfitting the troops cheaper – I understand that the power armor we're developing will be very expensive and not practical to outfit everyone with."

"That's true. It's also one of the main reasons we're putting as much resources in this project." Solumn nodded.

"We won't disappoint." The Kaminoan declared solemnly. "We're working on upgrading the nervous system as much as we can – we hope for two or three fold increase in reflexes and reaction speeds. However, there's a hard-cap we'll be reaching with neurotransmitters. We won't get as good reaction as the Rebirth units that would replace or enhance the nervous system with fiber-optics."

"That won't be a long term project. We'll be combining the later stages of these two projects anyway." The Director waved a hand in dismissal.

"That would be interesting to see." Scrin nodded. "Next – we're looking at increased endurance, which will take some tweaking in most subject's systems. However, that won't be available before Stage II is well underway. We still have some problem to solve."

The Director shrugged. He had seen the failures. It was ugly and regrettable, but they learned from those accidents.

"We've also improved the vision of the subjects, added increased night vision and are working on adaptive lenses for the eyes – that should increase accuracy."

"That's splendid."

"We're also looking in biological sub-dermal armor and ways to increase the toughness of the skin without crippling side effects. Those two will be reserved for Stage II or III." Scrin mussed.

"You can always use the sub-dermal armor from Rebirth." The Director proposed.

"That's something we're looking in along with a synthetic alloy that should act as a replacement skin they are looking into. Unfortunately the latter's in the theoretical stages for the time being."

"Time frame for Stage II?"

"At least a month before we can start fully enhancing a test subject to that standard."

"I see. It's better than projected. I want Stage I's testing done ASAP and ready for distribution in the army before the new volunteer units finish training. High Com wants them enhanced before they're deployed."

"Within three months, right?"

"That's when the first new non-clone divisions will be ready for deployment."

"We'll be ready to implement mass enhancements in three months plus minus a few weeks but we'll need increased funding and resources to create the necessary infrastructure." Scrin spoke after thinking for a few minutes.

"Consider it done." The Director nodded.

**=RK=**

**Interlude: The CIS and their toys**

**Techno Union R&amp;D Center "Trinity"**

**Location Classified**

**Outer Rim**

Count Dooku sat at the head of a long table made of black metal that was polished so much that it resembled a mirror. His current apprentice and one of her henchmen took seats to his right and a pair of heavily augmented humanoids did so on the other side of the table.

"Foreman Kleo," The Sith Lord nodded politely. "Congratulations are in order."

"The Union leaders simply did what was logical." Kleo's modulated voice showed no inflection. "You aren't here for small talk." The cyborg stated.

"No. Our time is precious and the war still rages. That leaves little spare time for the more refined things in life." The Sith shrugged. "In the last few months, the Republic has unveiled a number of advanced technologies and weapon designs that played a key role in halting our advance. We can no longer consider this war winnable in a short order. This poses certain problems." Isn't that the understatement of the century, Dooku thought.

"We're well aware." There was just a hint of annoyance in the Foreman's artificial voice. "Our R&amp;D departments had worked hard to ensure our superiority. We have a number of technologies either ready for deployment or near completion." The cyborg paused. "However, they won't come cheap – producing them takes more time and resources than our current armies."

"Most of the B series of droids are practically useless in the field. The new shielded armor the Republic deployed on Geonosis made the B1 and 2s totally obsolete. Even the SB subtype are heavily outclassed." Sev'rance spoke for the first time. Her voice was flat and annoyed.

"We know. Analysis shows that continued production of B series for anything but naval crew and maintenance units will be strategic mistake." The second, so far unnamed cyborg stated.

"This is Ilreth – one of the Unions primary strategic planners." The Foreman introduced his companion.

Dooku gave the second cyborg a nod and waved him to continue.

"We've already ceased B1 and 2 type production and are shifting those lines into either SB subtype or BX Commando series. We're introducing gradual upgrades in armor and firepower to our SB droids though outfitting them with shields will be difficult in the short term – there are some design issues with using the components of our Destroyer lines and we don't currently produce another shield and power plant small enough to fit in their chassis." Ilreth stated.

"I trust you're solving that issue?" Dooku was less than pleased by that information.

"We have multiple teams working on the problem." Kleo interjected.

"Analysis on the data brought by agent Tann and her unit shows that our most effective counter in the short time will be to shift our ground forces composition into SB and Commando heavy one." Ilreth continued as if he wasn't interrupted. "However, our projections show that if we are to win, the Confederation will need new and more powerful types of droids."

"It's true. All but the Commandos were almost useless. Once the Republic outfit a significant number of units with their new gear, most of our fronts will collapse." Tann added.

"We all know the problems on the ground. Solutions?" Dooku frowned.

"We have plans for certain prototypes, though they were deemed too expensive and unnecessary by the council." The Foreman sounded smug.

"Enlighten us."

Kleo tapped a button on his right arm and a holographic image came to life above the table.

A streamlined humanoid droid was standing at attention. It's armor was all made of sharp angles and obviously made to resist blasters and slugs. While it had a superficial resemblance to the Commando droids, it had more in common with Grievous' Magna Guards and the SB series.

"This is the SBX 1 concept." Ilreth spoke in his bland emotionless voice. "It combines the best series of our current combat models with increases durability, agility and it's smarter than the Commandos. It's programing includes improved tactical analyst algorithms, strategic modeling as well as self-updating system allowing them to actually learn, not simply extrapolate from previous data as our current BX units. In fact, programing wise, the SBX type are close to our tactical command droids though not as smart – that's simply not required."

"That might be useful." Sev'rance muttered.

"Why aren't we already deploying them?"

"We only build a single prototype – it was deemed too expensive and too good for the role it was supposed to fill. According to everyone the BX series were more than good enough and the SBX were simply a waste of resources." Ilreth reported.

"We'll need them to replace the Commando droids in their roles across the board as well as a power multiplier attached to our more regular forces." Dooku said. "I want production to start ASAP."

"I'll see to it, my Lord." Kleo stated. "Next."

The SBX image was replaced by a two and half meters tall behemoth. This machine appeared to be hunched forward. It stood on two curiously shaped legs, which had a metal shield protecting the front side of their vulnerable joints. The arms were surrounded by built in weapons – a flamethrower, a heavy repeater on the left and a laser cannon above the right. There was a missile pod above the left shoulder and a large cannon sticking above the right.

"This is the Titan concept." Ilreth started speaking. "It's protected by a prototype tank grade armor, three shield generators and built in laser AMS." The cyborg sounded almost giddy. "This design is a direct answer to the new republic gear – most of its internal components are of the shelf and we're already producing it's weapons in one form or another. It's role will be two fold. First assault – directly engaging enemy hardened positions and large groups of infantry. Second role is battlefield coordination and command. The Titan will have a modified Tactical Command droid programing allowing more efficient use of our forces in its area. We're already building a prototype. Once any major flaws are removed a we can field test it, we'll move into mass production if the Titan proves to be a practical design."

"That's it?" Sev'rance looked less than pleased.

"The rest is incremental upgrades of our current units – more powerful weapons for the SB series and improved small arms for the rest of our droids and biological units." The Foreman answered.

"Analysis proved that we have an advantage in indirect fire artillery. The lack of sufficient such units on Geonosis is one of the main reasons the enemy suffered minimal casualties in comparison to our own. We recommend increase in production as well as focusing research on improving this type of technology." Ilreth added.

"Do so." Dooku nodded after a moment. "Space." He stared grimly at the cyborgs.

"The unexpected effectiveness of the Guardian system and its mass deployment rendered our current doctrine obsolete." Kleo actually grumbled. "As you know, we relied on massed droid-fighter swarms as a major power multiplier. That strategy is now rendered obsolete. Further analysis concludes that all existing small craft – from fighters and bombers to heavily protected assault shuttles are unsurvivable in Guardian dominated environment. Further, long and medium range missile and torpedo strikes will be heavily degraded or neutralized before hitting a target."

"I'm aware of the implications. I need solutions." Dooku glared at he cyborgs.

"A possible tactic is one demonstrated by the Republic above Ryloth and Geonosis. Pin-point hyper-jumps into point-blank range followed by massed torpedo strikes. Unless a hyperspace exit is calculated perfectly, the Guardian systems of a fleet will be able to significantly degrade such attacks. Other counter include a deployment of gravity well generators to ensure that any such strike is dragged into real space at a safe distance."

"The Republic isn't ready to deploy interdictors at this time. I want small craft outfitted for such strikes in the immediate future before the enemy can adapt." Dooku ordered. "Still, that's a very short term solution."

"We're aware of that. Ilreth." Kleo let a note of amusement into his voice.

"While we'll continue production of Munificent class ships, we won't be expanding it. With our fighter contingent neutralized, a trade of multiple Munificents for Republic cruiser will no longer be to our strategic advantage. We propose to shift the frigate's role back to their intended one – raiders and escorts. We propose increased production of our latest class command ships – the Providence class dreadnoughts as the main combat unit of our navy. We'll be modifying most of them to reduce or remove the carrier role and use that space for more weapons and armor."

"That's an idea I like." Dooku nodded. "What about small craft?"

"We're playing with various designs and upgrades that may make them of a limited use against Guardian equipped targets but even prototypes are some time off. The good news is that we just finished testing our own version of that system – the Umbrella. It's production lines will be ready within the week and we estimate that in two months all our capital ships will be outfitted with it. Any new or still unfinished ship will be receiving it."

"That's the kind of news I want to hear." Dooku smiled for the first time since the meeting began. "What other plans to enhance the effectiveness of our navy do you have?"

"Multiple, including two rather controversial strategies."Ilreth stated.

"I'm listening." Dooku leaned forward. He felt that he'll like what he was going to hear.

"First, our most powerful ships – The Subjugator class. We'll need more of them, especially after the Corellians entered the war. We're proposing some modifications so they can fit different combat roles. Second, we want to expand the production of Lucrehulk type – above Geonosis they did best, though the lack of Umbrella made them very vulnerable to small craft strikes – once our Vultures were torn apart by the Guardians and enemy fighters, our battleships were simply overwhelmed. We want to introduce a few distinct variants of the typical Lucrehulk for either system defense or assault of heavily protected systems."

"I'll want more information later. What else?" Dooku asked.

"There's a certain project that's in the prototyping stages right now." Ilreth started. "It's about a new type of battle cruiser which while quite expensive and relatively slow to build may prove a game changer, especially in view of the Republic Star destroyer program."

"Speak." Dooku ordered.

"I'm talking about the Bulwark program and the Bulwark Makr I battle cruisers, which it has produced." Ilreth pressed a few buttons built in his arm and the image of the Titan was replaced by a ship that was a cross between a flying brick which had it's edges rounded into sloped armor giving it an ellipsoid look. There were two stubby drive section attached near the back of the hull, though they were dwarfed by the main engines of the behemoth.

There were a lot of turbo-laser and Ion canon emplacements visible and those were just the main guns – there were scores of smaller weapons presumably for the Bulwark's Umbrella.

"The Bulwark Mark I is projected to be the most powerful ton for ton warship in known space. Most well protected too – it has enough armor to ram through smaller ships without shields and emerge with minimal damage." Ilreth actually sounded excited. "The first prototype will be ready within the month. I'm requesting authorization for mass production once all major problems are fixed."

"Once the prototype is ready I want a comprehensive report on its performance, problems, how many of those ships can we build in a reasonable amount of time and how it will effect the production levels of our remaining space forces." Dooku ordered. "You said something about controversial tactics?"

"I'll see it done, my Lord." Ilreth nodded. "About the tactics we're proposing..."


	88. Chapter 25 Parts 1&2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**Phase 25: Breaking dawn**

**=RK=**

**Part 1**

**Republic Embassy**

**Sundari**

**Mandalore**

"Leave us." I ordered the guards, who were non-Clone Republic soldiers.

They saluted and left us with the prisoners, who were stripped off their weapons and armor. The two men wore bland tunics and were cuffed to a metal table in a small room in the basement, which was used for interviews by the RI branch in the embassy. They were sprawled insensate on the table, thanks to the sedatives I ordered administered when I dropped them earlier – I wasn't taking any chances with the assassin somehow escaping or killing themselves.

"Do you want to do the honors?" I asked Bo and offered her the injector I had been given from the medic who sedated the prisoners.

"It will be a pleasure." My companion smiled and grabbed the device.

Merrik, Satine's aide whom I poached earlier had a mighty frown on his face. It deepened when Bo pulled up the head of the first captive and jabbed the injector in his neck.

I could feel apprehension and fear coming from the aide before he managed to get his feelings under control. I was almost sure that he knew these men. Well, well. So we might have another source of information.

This evening might not be too bad, the whole becoming Mandalore fiasco excluded.

One more jab and hiss of hypo spray and the prisoners started stirring.

"Do you really think that they'll talk?" Merrik asked in a calm voice.

I had to give him that – besides the momentary slip, he was keeping a great facade.

"Who said that they have to say anything?" I smirked and walked next to the closest assassin. I grabbed his short hair and pulled his head back then placed my right palm on his forehead. "I'll simply take the information."

I submerged myself in the Force, took a hold of the Dark Side and slammed my will through the barely registering mental defenses of the awaking man. Before he could understand what was happening, I was in his head and delivered a hammer blow to his mind. I felt him reeling and struck again and again. Within moments, he was stunned, his will broken before he could start putting up a fight.

Then I drove into his memories by forcing his mind to call what I needed to see.

**=RK=**

I let Howell Zen's head go and it hit the metal table with a dull thud.

Goren Kranz – the assassin's leader and my other prisoner growled at me, but didn't react otherwise. I could feel his anger and defiance. There was no fear – he was either exceptionally brave or an idiot.

Merrik on the other hand, was scared. He had to be wondering what I got from Zen's mind before the warrior's brain become a mush under the strain of my assault.

Next to the aide, Bo-Katan was observing me. I could feel a mix of curiosity, grim satisfaction and mild disapproval coming from her. While most Mandalorians were practical people, they were never thrilled by the mind games a Sith could play if he had the skill and power to back it up.

"Merrik, tell me how long have you been a Death Watch sympathizer? How long have you been aiding them and their Separatist friends?" I raised and eyebrow at our guest.

His face featured more than a few times in the memories I tore out of Zen's head.

"What? That's preposterous!" Merrik snapped.

"Your emotions are betraying you, kid." I smiled as his fear spiked.

The aide tried to pull something from under his ornate robes. The moment he started moving I slammed him in the neares wall with a telekinetic strike. An instant later, Merrik was looking at one of Bo-Katan's heavy blasters, which she shoved right under his nose.

"He's been 'assisting' Satine for years." Bo shook her head. "She obviously had no idea." The disappointment towards her sister Bo felt had an almost physical presence.

"At least he should have some useful info. Please make sure that he doesn't do anything dumber." I carefully patted Bo's shoulder and turned my attention to the other prisoner.

"Goren from Clan Kranz." I shook my head at him. My voice was sad and I used the same tone I would if I was scolding a child. "Did you really think that your little attack could harm a Sith?" I asked.

Well, the answer was obvious – unless he was working under a flawed intelligence.

The assassin simply glared at me and refused to speak.

"So brave. So defiant. It would be commendable if you wasn't a common criminal." My lips twitched in disgust. That man was the closest thing I've met to a real Mandalorian warrior beside Bo-Katan and he was content with being a two-bit gangster. The same could be said for his squad – at lest Lok though so.

Kranz snorted, but otherwise remained silent.

I really hoped that the rest of the Mandalorians were head and shoulders above this lot, because otherwise my decision to become Mandalore would be one of my biggest mistakes ever. I shrugged and stalked towards the assassin. It wasn't like I had time to properly interrogate him – so it was going to be a mind rape again.

A few minute later it was all over. Kranz did have some decent mental training and his brain lasted for a much shorter period under the strain of my attack after I shattered his mental defenses. At least I did get some juicy pieces of information – the locations of three Death Watch bases which were built after Bo fell under scrutiny, along with a few weapon caches and the names of two agents within Satine's government.

"Did you get anything useful?" Bo asked after giving an uneasy look at the brain dead prisoners.

"Yep. We have some additional targets. They knew you were on them for weeks."

"Kriff." Bo snarled. "They wanted to see who I was working with, didn't they."

"Yep. Vizsla authorized the hit once that idiot," I pointed at the drooling form of Kranz, "told them who you were meeting at Brox's. They had rented an apartment across the street to watch Brox's."

"I got sloppy." Bo groaned.

"It happens. You got lucky to and are still in one piece – that's what matters in the end."

"I thought that you wizards didn't believe in luck."

"That's the Jedi's thing – they're usually all about the will of the Force and such. I'm a Sith. We kriff what the Force wants if it doesn't suit us and we make our own luck."

"What about this piece of trash?" Bo pressed her blaster in Merrik's face.

"He might be more useful alive – after all, our prince here's royalty."

"No matter who Kalevala will support, they will disavow him until the shooting starts."

"Then it sucks to be him. It's time to get briefed on the Clan heads and catch a bit of shut eye. Tomorrow will be a very long day."

"The traitor?"

"Knock him out." I shrugged.

**=RK=**

**Part 2**

**MandalMotors HQ**

**Sundari**

**Mandalore**

Arranging a meeting with MadalMotors' CEO, turned out to be rather easy – a call from the Embassy, right after a few suggestions from the current government, who were on of the corporation's major clients, were enough to open the door. Getting there went without accident too – the Death Watch were apparently laying rather low after yesterday's inccident, while Vizsla and his spin doctors were doing their best to pain the assassins as a rogue group. He might have wanted to sing another song, but his people failed, so not only did they paint their organization as a bunch of murderous lunatics, but what's worse – incompetent ones.

Further, Satine had announced that she would be making a speech concerning every single Mandalorian at noon. Hopefully, she wasn't going to kriff it up, however those were concerns for another time.

I glanced at Bo, who was my designated companion slash adviser for all things mandalorian. She was wearing her Death Watch armor, however it was repainted – there was no sign of that organization's markings on her apparel. Instead she was wearing an urban cammo pattern. We discussed it and decided that until we could clear Satine's reputation and by extension that of their clan, it would be unwise for Bo to wear the Kryze colors, no matter how much she wanted to.

We arrived at the corporate HQ shortly before eight in the morning, flying one of the Embassy's speeders and landed in a private docking bay which was near the top of the tall building. MandalMotors' seat in the capital was a large, broad skyscraper, which almost touched the ceiling of the biodome covering the city. The building was in the form of three towers glued next to each other – the eastern was the shortest – about forty floors tall, the western was the middle – about eighty and the last towered above it's siblings and was twice the height of them combined.

When we disembarked, a squad of armored guards met us and escorted us to the CEO's office. When we reached his floor, the head of security was waiting for us with twenty more heavily armored men and women.

"I'll have to request your weapons, General, ma'am." The Mandalorian woman stated.

I glanced down at my armor and the various built in weapons – a few personalized suits made almost up to the standards of my old, Great War era one, finally were completed and shipped to Chimera… just a few days after my part on the ground there was concluded. Talk about great timing.

"Unless, your Boss wants to see me naked, that won't be practical." I nodded at the built in dart launcher in my left arm-guard, the vibroblade under it, its twin on my other hand as well as a few other nice toys.

The head of security stared at me for a moment and pressed a button on her left arm. The light in the ceiling above us flashed, emitting a wave of blue light. The scanner beam passed over us a couple of times, before the light turned red. An unpleasant beeep emanated from the ceiling.

"You were supposed to be here for a talk, General." The woman snapped.

"I am." I waved at myself and Bo. "This is a simple precaution if the Death Watch tries to kill us again in a public place."

"There's no Death Watch here."

"Good to know." Not that I was going to take her word for it even if it was true. "The last time I checked, a warrior meeting a Mandalorian Clan leader unarmed and unarmored would be considered an insult considering the business we're here to discuss."

That stopped the woman short. She and the rest of the security stared at me for a long moment. There were very few ways my words could be interpreted by a Mandalorian knowing their history and culture.

"I see." The head of security muttered. She stood still for a few seconds – probably using her comm with the external speakers cut off, which would ensure we would hear nothing of what she was saying. "You're cleared to meet the CEO." The woman gave us a Mandalorian salute – a fist thumping her armor over her heart. A moment later, the security guards relaxed, took positions along the walls and saluted as well.

That was a very interesting development. While the guards wore only MandalMotors symbol on their gray armors and no clan markings, the way they reacted outright said that they were Clan Yomaget men and women, protecting their leader. That wasn't really a surprise – a man of the CEO's station would be best served if he was kept in one peace by his own Clan's warriors, if he had enough of them willing and able to do so.

I returned the salute and Bo followed suit. I could feel that she was mighty pleased by this development – this show of respect was dedicated for a Clan leader or warriors who had covered themselves with a lot of honor and glory; it wasn't something that one of Satine's supporters would have thought to show to anyone, nor a lot of those aligning themselves with Death Watch and the CIS.

The head of security, who still hadn't introduced herself – and no one had bothered giving me her name during the briefing I got on Horus, waved us to follow. She was scanned at the end of the corridor, which ended in an armored door. The woman removed her right gauntlet and placed her bare hand on a security panel to the right and quietly whispered a series of override codes. Only then the armored doors slid open to reveal a large and tastefully decorated office.

The walls were lined with pictures of various vehicles – from speeders and fighters up to and including massive battleships. I saw a few of the cruisers the Mandalorians used in my time and smiled at the memory.

There were six columns flanking a marble pathway leading towards a large wooden desk – they were almost a meter broad each and made a nice cover. I had no doubt that there would be weapon emplacements inside. Between the columns, I saw statues of Mandalorian warriors clad in different armors – from light recon suits to bulky assault plate that could shrug off heavy blaster fire.

Horus Yomaget stood up to greet us. He was a short man – barely a bit over one seventy. He had a crop of brown hair that was just growing on a previously shaved head. Horus wore a two piece black suit.

"General Delkatar Veil and Bo-Katan Kryze. To what do I own this honor?" Horus asked in a strong and clear voice. His intense pale eyes studied us as we approached.

When we reached the pair of chairs in front of the desk, I stood at attention and gave the man a Mandalorian salute.

"Clan Leader Yomaget, it's a honor to meet you."

"A very old fashioned greeting..." Horus trailed off. "There're few besides my Clansmen who would greet me that way."

"In my time, it would have been unthinkable to greet someone of your station in any other way." I smiled.

"Perhaps. You're here for a reason." Horus stared at us for a moment. "But where are my manners? Please do sit down." He waved at the chairs.

"Thank you, Clan Leader."

Yomaget gave us a speculative look.


	89. Chapter 25 Parts 3&4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**Phase 25: Breaking dawn**

**=RK=**

**Part 3**

**CEO's office**

**MandalMotors HQ**

**Sundari**

**Mandalore**

"What does the Republic want with my company and myself?" The CEO asked after a moment of silence.

"That's obvious, Clan Leader." I leaned forward. "Let's not play word games. Neither of us has time for that."

"Is that so? Then speak. Bluntly." A ghost of a smile ran over Yomaget's lips.

"So be it. Mandalore and most Mandalorians by association are going to be kriffed in a way none of you will like. That's something you're aware of. We both have certain problems that can be solved if we work together. That blunt enough?" I hoped I didn't misjudge the CEO. At least being here and speaking plainly was a refreshing change from dealing with the politicians on Coruscant.

"Succinctly put. Not too far of the mark either. Though, who's to say some of us won't like the oncoming storm?"

"Well, going out in a blaze of glory is always an option." I shrugged. "However, it tends to be rather final."

"A lot of warriors would prefer that over what has been happening since the Civil War." The CEO stated without showing how he felt about it. Further, his mind was disciplined, protected. He was in control of his feelings too – all I could sense coming from him was a bit of curiosity. "You're here to make a deal." He added.

"True enough. Our problems might just solve themselves for us if handled right."

"It's us now?" Yomaget raised and eyebrow.

"Preferably. The alternatives are less than acceptable for everyone involved." I said.

"What about your friend? A bodyguard? That doesn't really make sense. A friend? A companion?" Yomaget turned his attention to Bo.

"Well, she was to be my candidate for Mandalore, but events here unfolded faster than anticipated." I shrugged.

"Satine's sister as Mandalore?!" Yomaget actually laughed. "I didn't know you Sith had such a sense of humor."

I saw Bo stiffen next to me. She was royally pissed off at the implication on her character.

"Peace!" The CEO raised a hand in a placating gesture. "I have no problem with you, Bo-Katan of Clan Kryze. However, our _esteemed leader_ has been dragging your Clan name through the mud for more than a decade now. Barring a miracle, no one would support another Kryze in a position of power over us."

"As things stand? True." I smiled. "On the other hand, if Bo-Katan had an opportunity to prove her worth as a leader and warrior in the war, things would be different."

"Ah. So that was your plan." Yomaget studied us for a moment. "It might have even worked, though I have my doubts. Satine has poisoned your Clan Name among certain circles." He nodded at Bo, who did a decent impression of statue made of durasteel.

I had to admire her self control.

"My other candidate has similar problems."

"He's a bloody Jedi." Bo hissed.

Yomaget gave us a strange look.

"General Kenobi. His girlfriend is Mandalorian and he's likely to concede becoming a part of the culture." I added.

"The Negotiator? Well, he's a warrior of some esteem and he has covered himself with a lot of honor and glory." Yomaget nodded. "However, he's a kriffing Jedi. Even if he becomes one of us, it would be a long time before he's accepted. There's simply too much bad blood between the Jedi, the Republic and us." Yomaget narrowed his eyes. "You aren't throwing the names of currently unsuitable candidates just for fun."

"As things stand, Vizsla is most likely to become Mandalore after Satine's government is overthrown." I stated and stared into Yomaget's eyes. I drew on the Dark Side and let it flood me. I could feel its cool embrace and I had no doubt that my eyes had turned yellow. "That would be unacceptable."

We looked at each other for a few moments.

"What's new? The Republic would support Satine and there would be another civil war." Yomaget sighed. "The outcome would be decided by how much troops you or the Confederacy could pour, though Vizsla will have an advantage – he's the one our people support."

"Incorrect." I smiled coldly. "We won't be supporting the New Mandalorian government. They're useless to us. There are two outcomes acceptable for the Republic – either Mandalore becomes a firm ally with someone acceptable in charge or I will eliminate it as a threat."

Yomaget stiffened. Finally I could sense his feelings – only an incredible level of self-control allowed him to remain still and appear to ponder the situation. In fact, the man was furious.

"I should have seen that." His lips twisted in something that resembled a smile. If you squinted real hard that is. "I just said that there's a lot of bad blood between us, didn't I?"

"The last few months changed the Republic." I shrugged. "It's no longer business as usual."

"I can see it in your eyes. You would glass my world and love every second of it, won't you?" Yomaget sounded detached.

"I am a Sith. It comes with the territory."

I narrowed my eyes. He was probably considering his chances to take me out. I was sure that there were built in weapons around the room and his guards were moments away.

They weren't going to be enough if things got ugly. Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that. After all, I didn't come here to fight, but to deal.

"You didn't come here to gloat. I'm sure you won't suggest making me Mandalore either. While I've been running a rather profitable business and I'm a respected Clan Leader, I haven't proven myself as a warrior in a long time. My name isn't covered with honor and glory. The only one who could fill the bill is Vizsla..." Yomaget trailed off. "What do you want from us? We would fight against anyone who would try to break us, but that doesn't mean much – both you and the Confederacy have more than enough troops and ships to simply bury us."

"What I need is a Mandalore I can be sure won't back-stab the Republic at the worst possible moment." I sighed. "My best candidates would take months of leading soldiers in battle and distinguishing themselves before anyone would accept them as possible leaders of the Mandalorian people."

"We already covered that." Yomaget muttered.

"Indeed. That was a problem. I don't want to destroy your people, Clan Leader, even if I would enjoy the challenge. Fortunately, Bo-Katan here had a brainstorm last night." I nodded at my companion, who was still pissed off.

The CEO looked at her. "This is going to be good, I just know it." His eyes turned on me. "Really? That's the grand idea, that supposed to solve all our problems?"

"All 'reasonable' candidates either don't have the clout for the position, are my enemies or likely to become such. My enemies don't live long." Well, that was a lie. There were a few Sith Lords that took years of scheming, planning and undermining of their power-bases to take down, though the Mandalorians of today really didn't measure by that standard. Hells, no one really did.

"How do you expect to pull off such a stunt?" There was a genuine curiosity in Yomaget's voice, though I could still sense his anger.

"With a lot of help."

"Why would I support such a crazy scheme? Why would I chose a Mandalore who would destroy my people if they're an obstacle?" The Clan Leader asked.

I smiled.

**=RK=**

**Part 4**

**CEO's office**

**MandalMotors HQ**

**Sundari**

**Mandalore**

"Well, you want to speak frankly. There are two kinds of reasons why I want to be Mandalore – it's the same about why you might want to support my bid."

"I'm all ears." Yomaget snarked.

"The strategic ones – I would rather prefer to have your people as my allies. I know exactly how dangerous the Mandalorians are once you get going. While you're small in number compared to the armies that are fighting right now, you're much better trained than what the Republic could get on the field in the next few years besides the Clones and certain formations from various member worlds."

"That's a rather charitable view of our capabilities." The CEO frowned.

"It takes months to properly train a soldier and they would still be green. Further, that time can't be really cut – many Republic worlds and systems are sensitive to casualties – sending new units just to be chewed on the front would backfire spectacularly. That's not an issue for the Mandalorians – you have a core of trained and a lot of experienced warriors. Enough for at least a couple of small armies and a significant number of special operations groups." I stated.

"That's true. I'm well aware how certain of our friends within the Republic would react to high military casualties amongst units drawn from their people. However, no matter how good we are, we Mandalorians aren't expendable either. Why should we die for the Republic or for the Confederacy for that matter?"

"Good questions. The simple answer is one you know. As a people, you won't be given a choice."

Yomaget sighed and I chuckled.

"I see. There are Clan Leaders banking on the Republic being the good guys to avoid the war or at lest try it until you were ready to make a choice. Am I right?"

"Correct. We aren't ready for war. Not at this scale anyway. In a year? Perhaps eighteen months? That would be different."

"Well, time's up. Both sides want you and none of us will be taking a no for an answer."

"Why should we chose you over the Confederacy then? You appear to be the two sides of the same coin."

"There's one major difference. I had a lot of good friends who happened to be Mandalorians. I would loathe to see their people destroyed by my hands. Yet… I'm a Sith Warrior. I would love the challenge." I smiled sadly. "Why should you support me? I can give your people a future. I can give them a cause to rally behind. What's the alternative? You can support a two bit thug like Vizsla and his gangsters – that's true. Where's the honor in that?"

"That's rich. A Sith speaking about honor." Yomaget glared at me.

"I do have honor, Clan Leader. True, it's form is different than yours, but that makes it no less real." I stood up.

"Do you? You came into my office and gave me what amounts to an ultimatum." The CEO snapped.

"I merely stated the facts and they aren't pretty." I shot back. "I didn't create this situation, Clan Leader. Yet, instead of choosing the simple, the easy way – I'm here seeking a way to keep the Mandalorian people whole. A way to raise them into the exemplar warriors I was honored to call comrades." I took a deep breath.

"Don't mistake me, Clan Leader Yomaget! The best course of action for me personally would be to burn Mandalore down to the ground, to scatter your people and ensure that they would never become a threat. Instead, I'm trying to help you all and by doing that I'm risking everything that I've achieved since I found myself in this kriffed up beyond belief future. I'm doing it because of Stephen Ordo, Mandalore the Dauntless a friend that has been dead for four millennia! I do it because of every single Mandalorian who fought beside me in the Great War!"

"Good." Yomaget smiled. "You have the fire that a true Mandalore needs. Still, you haven't told me why I should support you. As you keep pointing out, we aren't your people. You aren't a Mandalorian. If we're to be ground to space dust in this war, why should we chose to do it beside you?"

"True, I'm not a Mandalorian. Yet." I looked at Bo, who smirked.

"He owes me a _sparing match_ before that." Her own smile was a vicious thing. It made my blood race.

"Answer me." The Clan Leader spoke quietly. All trace of amusement or any other emotion was suddenly absent from his tone.

"I have a vision for Mandalore and its people. I can give you a honorable cause. I can help you be great once again and not like a bunch of marauding thugs, but as honorable warriors who would be example for everyone in the galaxy. I can offer you glory and a part in the greatest war in a thousand years. I can offer you allies and technology. All I ask in return is that you fight beside me. That you make me and my old friend proud."

"Nice little speech. I want to hear facts." Yomaget stated.

I gave him a genuine smile and pulled a data-chip from a compartment in my left arm-guard, then floated it until it was hovering in front of the CEO.

"A good will gesture – schematics for personal shields – both standard energy and the famous Mandalorian Melee variant. I'm offering the Grand army of the Republic as an ally as well as my own resources." My smile widened. "I have had my people canvasing old Imperial caches as well as a few I built just in case. They recovered some very interesting pieces of forgotten technology. There's a summary on that chip as well."

Yomaget frowned and put the chip in a reader built into his desk. A moment later, a holo-emitter came to life and it started projecting various 3-D schematics. For a few minutes the CEO studied the shields and then he browsed further until he reached the real bait.

"Do you have it?"

"Operational? Not yet. While my people did recover the critical components, it takes time to build in secrecy."

"How long?"

"Two to three months for the prototype. Afterward – a modified cruiser every three months if they keep working in secrecy. If MandalMotors joins the project, well that would cut the timetable significantly."

Yomaget reached the last file, opened it and stared.

"How the kriff did you get this? Is it real?" The Clan Leader snapped.

"Yes. Mandalore the Dauntless was a close friend of mine. Some of my assets helped modify his flagship with the Silencer – that' show I got the schematics. The second part of the file is the same ship, modified with modern tech in the areas where it's prudent to do so."

"Even without the super weapon, this ship can handle the most powerful dreadnoughts and cruisers deployed by anyone today. Provided that those schematics are genuine."

"They are. However, building such a ship would take a lot of time. It won't help us in the short term."

"No. It wont." Yomaget sighed. "A nice little bribe, which comes hand in hand with blackmail. Can you guarantee that the GAR will support us?"

"I can. Even if I'm fired after becoming Mandalore, I have a very good working relationship with the officers who run the Army and Navy with me. They would support Mandalore as allies should no matter what the Senate wants as far as you don't betray the Republic."

"Does that include access to the new weapons and armor?"

"Samples as well as schematics. They would have to be build locally, besides a small number provided for special operations groups."

"That's fine. Good enough in fact. What would you do as Mandalore? Where would you lead us if we chose you?"

I almost had him, even if it was mostly because he and his people were in a tight spot without a good way out.

"To victory. To honorable and glorious future. I'll do my best to rebuild Mandalore itself and it's whole sector into the jewel of the galaxy, one that's protected by the most advanced and powerful fleet in the known universe. I'll help the Mandalorian Warriors regain what they had lost."

"With what resources?"

"What we can get from the CIS when we don't have to bomb them back to the stone age along with as much aid from the Republic as possible. Uniting this whole sector behind Mandalore as close allies would be a good first step after the obvious – dealing with the Death Watch and their Separatist backers."

"It might even work." Yomaget mussed. "You." He stood up as well and pointed at Bo. "Why do you follow this stranger? Why do you want to fight beside him?"

Bo-Katan looked him straight in the eyes. "Because he made me see the true faces of my former comrades. Because he offered me a better way, a brighter future for myself and our people… Because, he might be able to give us all what we've been longing for ever since the Civil War."

"Nice words." The Clan Leader sighed. "It's a sad day, then we might need a Sith to come save us from ourselves."

"I've always believed that the Mandalorians don't need someone to tell them what to do. However, sometimes they do need someone who will lead the way and hope that they will walk beside them on that path."

"That's the first thing you spoke as a Mandalorian, instead of a Sith."

"Very soon I'm going to be both, if you'll have me."

"You might actually do."


	90. Chapter 25 Parts 5&6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**Phase 25: Breaking dawn**

**=RK=**

**AN: Part 5 was betaed by Battleship_Fussou on the space battles forums. Thank you very much!**

**Part 5**

**Vizsla's office**

**Death Watch Main base of operations**

**Concordia**

Pre Vizsla sat down in his chair and opened a bottle of Corellian Brandy he had taken from the bar when he got in. He needed a stiff drink after doing damage control the whole afternoon and most of the evening.

Satine had to do something competent for once, didn't she?

Vizsla pressed a few buttons and a holo-recording of her press-conference started playing. This was the first time since the Civil War he saw her clad in armor in the Satine Clan's colors. Pre had thought that Satine had disposed of all suits, or at least those, which Bo-Katan wasn't able to liberate from their family compound. Considering what had happened the previous day, the armor might very well be one of his former subordinate's… and wasn't that a waste? He still couldn't figure out what the Republic was able to offer Bo-Katan so the woman would switch sides. While she did find some of the shadier activities in which the Death Watch indulged, that shouldn't have been an issue for a warrior woman like her! After all, this was what the Mandalorian warriors were meant to be – fighters and mercenaries who did everything they could for glory, honor and profit – war didn't pay for itself and it was their trade when all was said and done. Why did it matter how they financed it?

"My fellow Mandalorians!" Satine started speaking. Her voice was loud and clear, more importantly it was confident. There was no hint of hesitation or indecision. "We've all been in a precarious situation ever since the Civil War ended. Our war industries were wrecked, our homes - devastated. The best of us died or were left as shadows of their former selves." She paused. "We literally tore ourselves apart."

It was a nice start. Direct and blunt enough to make people who would have usually dismissed anything she had to tell listen for once. It also meant a heap of trouble for the Death Watch in general and him in particular, even if it ultimately gave him a magnificent opportunity.

"When I took the burden of leadership in the aftermath of the war, I and the New Mandalorians who supported me, wished to give us all time to heal. Time to recover. To rebuild. We were in no state for another conflict. Engaging in such would have spelled our doom, no matter how valiantly the remaining Mandalorian warriors would have fought." Satine paused to take a breath. Vizsla could practically hear her conviction as she spoke.

It had to be the Republic delegates – no one else was there to make her change her tune at this late date. It was too bad that his team failed to kill that general – doing so might have avoided this spell of trouble.

Perhaps not – Bo-Katan didn't meet with Kenobi, who was a known associate of the Duchess and the most likely one to blame for her change.

"Further, we were divided. To a large extent, we still are. My people, this has to end. We are at the cusp of a new age. We've finally rebuilt! We've recovered. Yet, there are forces out there, who want nothing more than to either use us as pawns or see us destroyed once and for all! Both the Republic and the Confederacy sent agents here to _demand _ our support!" Satine's fury was clear for all to see.

This right there was someone acting like a Mandalorian Clan Leader should. If she had been always like that, if she had always possessed this fire… Pre shook his head. It didn't matter. It was too late for such thoughts.

"Both promised us reward if we did their bidding like lapdogs! Both threatened grave, _final _consequences if we didn't support them, if we didn't take a side in a war that isn't our own." Satine sighed. "I know your hearts. No matter the role I had to play since the Civil War ended, I know. This war calls to me too! It makes my heart beat faster, my blood boil!" The Duchess smiled sadly.

Personally, Vizsla was pretty sure that this was a lie by omission, but it was good enough for those who didn't personally know the woman. He took a sip of his brandy. Here came the good part.

"The opportunities for honor and glory, the call of combat at unprecedented scale in a thousand years! Some lucky few of our people already fight in the war and were a part of it before it even began. There are those who were contracted to train the Grand Army of the Republic – all of them are Mandalorians who are coming back home as we speak. There are the mercenaries fighting for either sides. Yet, there's one big difference between those warriors and the rest of us." Satine glared at the camera. There was nothing faked about the fury she displayed. "They _chose, _which side to fight beside. We aren't allowed to do so. We weren't contracted as mercenaries or approached as allies. Our allegiance was _demanded."_

That was true as far as the CIS went. Vizsla had talked with their representatives and suggested it himself. It was meant to expose how weak and ineffective Satine was so once he got power he could officially negotiate the terms he had already agreed on with the Confederacy. However, the Republic representatives making similar demands, well that was a surprise. The Jedi wasn't the one behind that, though he could see Kenobi's hand in boosting Satine's confidence and making her show to everyone that she actually had spine. It was ironic – if she had always been like this, Mandalore would have been a different place. Hells, he might have been on her side even.

Unfortunately, he knew the woman. He knew that a lot of the details in her speech were warped at best. This was a plot with a certain aim. The other Republic general, Veil, meeting with Clan Leaders all morning was a dead giveaway.

"This, my people, is something I know you won't let stand. Yet, we're still in a very dangerous position. While we've finally rebuilt, we still aren't ready for a war of the scale. A war into which we will be dragged one way, or another. If we are to not only survive the oncoming storm, but use it to prosper and cover ourselves with honor, we need to be united. One people. It's time that we leave our petty divisions behind." Satine smiled wryly. "I know, it's easy to say and much harder to put into practice. We don't need someone to tell us what to do, to tell us who to follow. Yet, we need someone to unite us so we can face our fate together. That is why, in one week's time I'm calling for a meeting of all Clan Leaders, here in our capital. The purpose is simple – we need a leader to guide and advice us in this dangerous times. We need a new, worthy Mandalore to lead us in the coming war."

That last part threw out most of Vizsla's plans. Launching a coup while the Clan Leaders were gathering – that would be a suicide. A lot of the new people simply wouldn't stand for it and he doubted that even with CIS support he would come on top in such a case. Not with the Republic having a battle-group in system and who knew what nearby as support. He knew what the Confederacy had in the nearby sectors, what they could spare and it was going to be a close run thing at best… one that was likely to leave Mandalore a ruin unless the Death Watch had more support.

Vizsla smiled. Unwittingly, Satine gave him what he needed – an opportunity to run for Mandalore much earlier than he ever believed possible. That's why he had been busy speaking with Clan Leaders and making deals ever since her conference.

Pre frowned. Unfortunately, he had been rebuffed by two of the people Veil had talked with – a big problem considering that one of the mas MandalMotors CEO.

The question was who the Republic and Satine were trying to place as a figurehead Mandalore. Once he found that out, Vizsla would be able to attack their credibility and expose them for the pawn they had to be. He didn't believe for a moment that all of this was the Duchess' idea. The Republic had bought her somehow and they were maneuvering to get in their man or woman as Mandalore. Perhaps those Mandalorians who supposedly trained the GAR and were coming home? The Republic candidate might be among them, though with no one having heard about who they were or what they did since the Civil War ended he doubted that one of them could be elected.

**=RK=**

****Part 6****

****Clan Ordo Compound****

****Mandalore****

"Mira, inside. Now." A man in his late forties ordered a tall, solidly build young girl – she couldn't be more than twelve. The child was hovering next to him, while he was busy repairing a speeder. There were instruments and parts lying on a tarp next to the pair.

"I'm going." The blonde kid nodded and sprinted into the nearby two story stone dwelling.

The man gave me an unfriendly look and his hand fell over a blaster he has in a holster on his right hip. His blue eyes tracked every movement I made, though every few moments they glanced at the shuttle behind me.

"What does the Republic wants with me of all people?" The Mandalorian rumbled in a deep voice. He straightened up and moved a step back, so if something happened he could have a better chance to use the speeder for cover.

"Kole Ordo?" I asked. The directions I got from Satine's people brought me here, so hopefully I wasn't going to embarrass myself. He looked like the man I was looking for, though that didn't meant he was the one I needed. According to the records back in the capital, Kole hadn't officially confirmed his status as a Clan Leader.

"Who's asking?"

"General Delkatar Veil. Are you Kole, Clan Leader of Clan Ordo?" I asked again.

"I'm Kole. I'll repeat my question, what do you want with me?" Ordo grumbled.

Not a social person this one.

"To talk."

"The last people who wanted to _talk _threatened my daughter." Kole glared pure murder at me.

"I see Death Watch was here before me. Maneuvering to make Vizsla the next Mandalore, aren't they?" It was inevitable after Satine's speech yesterday. Still, trying to blackmail one of my friends descendants, no matter how far removed. That shouldn't really matter, not after that long, yet… It hasn't been four thousand years for me. An year ago, I was carousing with Stephen, shortly before I headed to joint the fleet at Korriban and ending in the future.

I closed my eyes and I could almost hear Stephen and Mako laughing.

"You're to blame for that I gather. It's no coincidence that they visited me this morning and you arrive just a few hours later, isn't it?" Kole asked.

"While my actions might have led them to search support for Vizsla as Mandalore, the way they went with it, well it shows their true colors, doesn't it?" I smiled. "Are you going to support him?"

"Hell no. We're leaving in a few days." The man's glare intensified and his hand closed over his blaster.

"I see. Can I persuade you not to? For Mandalore and sticking it to the bastards?"

Kole's eyes flickered to the house and his face settled in a deep scowl.

"Why should I care? Besides what's to you?"

"I still owe more than one to a friend of mine, a Mandalorian of your Clan. Considering that he's in no position to receive a my assistance if he needs it..." I shrugged.

"Dead?"

"Even a Mandalore doesn't live for thousands of years."

"You're that man who claims to be a Sith, from the past no less." Kole's eyes narrowed even further, becoming slits. "Darth Vael no less."

"Oh, so you've heard of me." I grinned. That was the wrong thing to say – the hostility I was feeling from the man suddenly skyrocketed.

I drew on the Force just in time.

Ordo drew his blaster almost faster than normal eyes could follow and opened fire. I moved an instant before he did and raised a hand coated with Force energy and slapped the blaster bolts aside, before pulling the gun from the man's grip. Kole tried to roll away, but before he could finish diving I froze him in place with my power.

"Was that really necessary? I'm here to talk, damn it!"

The Force warned me a moment before the house's door opened and the kid came out – complete with a heavy blaster she was clutching with both hands.

"LEAVE MY DAD ALONE!" She shouted and opened fire. Accurate too – if I didn't deflect her shots, she would have nailed me in the chest with enough firepower to burn through most personal armor available.

Another pull and freeze trick later, I had both Ordos on display.

"Are you two willing to listen? If I was going to be killing or threatening either of you, I wouldn't have bothered coming here in the middle of the day for all to see." I shook my head.

This wasn't the day and age when a Sith could just murder people for fun and not expect retaliation from the local authorities if found out. At least outside the CIS and that was a good thing.

"Do I have your attention?" I smirked. "Good. Sweetie," looked at the girl, "When you want to shoot someone, especially using the element of surprise, you shoot first, second and third, then perhaps throw a grenade or two at them. Only then you can shout at the kriffing remains to your heart's content." I grinned. "You do get points for accuracy."

The stasis on Kole ran out and he stumbled on the grass. I froze him again just in case and walked next to him. "Can we talk like civilized people and a pissed off Mandalorian girl or do you want further demonstration that I'm a kriffing Sith?" I asked and raised a hand in front of Ordo's face so he could see the torrents of purple energy dancing between my clawed fingers. "It's getting irritating that people refuse to accept that I'm Delkatar kriffing Veil, Darth Vael, the Dark Lord of the bloody Sith!"

"The Black Knight!" The girl exclaimed once her stasis ran out a moment later.

"Telling stories, are we?" I smirked at Kole. "Blame that the Force only knows how many greats grandfather of yours, Stephen. He's to blame for that moniker. Can we talk now?" I asked Kole who fell on his ass as the stasis ended.

He gave me a dirty look but nodded.

=RK=

A few minutes later we were sitting around a small wooden table in the kitchen with a steaming cups of tea in front of us.

"Are you really him?" Mira excitedly asked.

"So I've been relegated to children's stories nowadays." I shook my head with wry amusement. It wasn't the worst way to be remembered outside scholars and historians.

"In a manner of speaking." Kole muttered. "How?"

"I'm not sure myself. One moment I was in a fight above Korriban, during the Republic's last ditch offensive before we were about to hit them with everything we had. Then one fool activated an experimental super-weapon when his flagship was about to be overwhelmed by an enemy cruiser squadron. I blacked out and the next thing I knew I was in a different star system in what turned out to be the future." I shrugged.

My presence being the "Will of the Force" would have to do.

"Huh. It's a strange galaxy out there." Ordo shrugged. "Why do you want me to support for Mandalore? Mind you, I'm not agreeing to anything. The Death Watch flunkies told me that the Republic is trying to place a figurehead as our leader."

"Good." I grinned. Hopefully that would bite them in the ass. "Let them keep their delusions for however long they last. I'm no one's figurehead."

"YOU?! You aren't even a Mandalorian!" Kole exclaimed.

"Not yet is the operative word. There's this woman, who insist on a vigorous sparing match tonight. Her grandmother was an Echani you see." I smiled. It was going to be an interesting evening. "Depending how it ends, there may be a wedding in a few days."

"A Mandalorian woman, eh? Mako's diaries and the few of Stephen's personal accounts that survive indicate that they tried to hook you up with one of ours in the past."

"I wasn't really interested then. I already had a long term paramour shortly after her death I met the woman who became my late wife."

"I read about that. Nasty business." Kole stiffened and gave me a searching look. "It's no secret that the Black Knight's wife, Ashara was murdered by the Jedi. Yet, you work with them?"

"True." I frowned. "Everyone who had anything with her death is dead, most by my hand, though a few got lucky by me ending in this time. Today's Jedi Order and Republic… they're both different beasts. The organizations I had a vendetta against are long gone."

"Whose the woman who have set her sights on you?" Mira grinned.

"Bo-Katan Kryze."

"The Duchess sister?" Kole raised an eyebrow at that.

"Former Death Watch member too, until her former friends tried to have us assassinated two days ago.

"I heard about that bit of excitement in the capital. Hard not to. As you know, blowing bars with the patrons inside is frowned on here."

"Incompetence too and the Death Watch are guilty of both and more."

"I'm pissed off at Vizsla and his thugs, but..." Kole trailed off and glanced at his daughter, then looked me in the eyes. "It's a lot you ask, not just personally. What would you do if you somehow become Mandalore? Why do you want the title anyway? From what I gather, you're practically in command of the Republic's armed forces nowadays. Becoming Mandalore is likely to remove you from that position or at least significantly decrease your authority and actual power."

"True. If I was a typical Sith, it would be a no-brainier." I smiled sadly. "There were few people who did more to keep me sane-ish and reasonably stable in hell that was being a newly minted apprentice in the Sith Academy on Korriban. Once my first Master pulled me out of that hell-hole and started using me as an errand boy and hunter to Sith shock troopers who had lost it thanks to the sub-standard training at the academy, one of my first assignments led me to Nal Hutta, where I met him and Mako. That was shortly after their team for the Great Hunt was assassinated. Long story short, I owe them both more than I can ever repay. They and a friend I picked up years latter are the reason I regained some of my humanity and didn't end as a typical Sith."

"Mako wrote something like that. I don't think that there are many people who know about it after all these years."

"What the Jedi have on me doesn't mention it either." I chuckled. "Ironically, they're the only people who know and believe the truth."

"It's rather implausible. What was the first idea? A Dark Jedi with delusions of grandeur?" Kole looked at his daughter.

"Yep." She grinned. "The holonet is aflame with speculations about you. The latest 'consensus' is that you're your own clone!" Mira laughed.

"Well, it makes more sense than the truth." I smirked. "Let them flounder for as long as they would. Being underestimated gives me an advantage. To answer your question, I owed a lot to Mandalore and I would hate to see his people destroyed."

"That bad?"

"Satine didn't lie yesterday. The Senate wants the Mandalorian problem solved and many would prefer that this world burns instead of gaining the Mandalorians as allies. There apparently is much more bad blood than I remember."

"True. We kept finding ourselves and the Republic on different sides of various conflicts for a long, long time." Kole nodded. "That still doesn't explain why should Clan Ordo support you. While today it's just the two of us," He nodded at Mira, "Our name still carries a lot of influence. Unfortunately so does Vizsla's and he does have an army of goons."

"Today some acquaintances arrive – the Mandalorians who trained the GAR. They will be bringing at least a few commando squads. I'm reasonably sure that we'll be able to keep Mira out of Death Watch's reach."

"And if I simply decide to leave as planned?"

"Then I'll help you disappear, no strings attached. I owe your Clan that much." Kole sighed.

"I'll think about it. Is there any way to contact you?"

I nodded and retrieved a comm unit from my belt.

"It's on a frequency that only Bo and me have. It's secure too."


	91. Chapter 25 Part 7

**AN: This part was betaed by Uriel on the space battles forums. Thank you very much!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**Phase 25: Breaking dawn**

**=RK=**

**Part 7**

**Training area**

**Royal Palace**

**Sundari**

**Mandalore**

"Are you sure about this?" Obi-Wan asked.

I put on my helmet and it sealed with a quiet hiss, hiding my smile. I stood still for a few seconds until the armor's systems came fully online – environment controls, shields, targeting assist, built in weapons...

"More than anything." I muttered and started running a check on my weapons. A pair of heavy blasters, my dart launcher, grenades, two vibro-knives in my boots and of course my lightsabers.

"There's going to be a hell to pay. You know that, right?" The Jedi sighed.

"There always is. At least this time the prize is a worthy one."

"What about Master Ti and you? Or did you just pull my chain?" Kenobi tried again.

"Nope. We did sleep together and the sex was great. Still, that was all – just sex at a moment we both needed to vent. Under different circumstances..." I shrugged. "Every time I think about Ti… I can't help but compare her with Ashara. As if I'm replacing my dead wife with someone, who no matter their worth in the end won't be able to compare."

"That's messed up." Obi-Wan shook his head.

"If someone told you that the whole emotion thing is simple and without complications, you need to kick their ass."

"Then why have you been nagging me not to clamp on mine?"

"Because no matter the pain and heartache emotions can bring, they're worth it in the end, Obi-Wan. Look me in the eyes and tell me that you regret that you slept with Satine. That you don't want her again."

"That's not the point!" Kenobi spluttered. "We're, it's not..."

"Man, you've got it bad." I smirked. "When we're done here, go drag your Duchess to the bedroom and make sure that she won't be thinking about any one else ever again."

"VEIL! That's totally un-appropriate!" Obi-Wan glared at me.

"Getting laid is a very appropriate thing to do."

I tuned out his spluttering and looked over the training room. It was two hundred meters long, a hundred wide and twenty five tall. There were various metal panels that could pop up to provide cover as well as holo-emmiters to help simulate most environments too. The training ground was configured like a labyrinth with a lot of cover and a decently large open space in the center.

"Enough with the distractions! What in the name of the Force made you chose that symbol for your Clan?!" Kenobi growled.

Heh, it was too easy to get under his skin. I chuckled and glanced down at my chest-plate. It was painted black, with a white emblem of the Sith Empire above my heart.

"I'm sticking it to a certain Sith. Now go in the observation lounge. I promise, the show will be worth it."

"That's what I'm afraid of. Do try not to kill each other." Obi-Wan sighed. "It's a terrible idea..." He trailed off and shook his head.

"It's all a matter of perspective. When all is said and done I'm the last remaining official of the Sith Empire. It was never officially dissolved. If anyone has a right over this emblem, that's me. I've fought and bled for it for decades, Obi-Wan." With those parting words I stepped into the makeshift arena and an armored door closed behind me.

I took a deep breath, reveling in the cool air provided by my armor and drew in the Force. A pleasant chill ran over my skin as I submerged myself in the Dark Side. My senses expanded and I could feel Bo on the other side of the training ground. She took a step forward and her presence all but vanished, leaving me with only a vague idea where she was. If we were actually on a crowded battlefield, she would be practically invisible to my Force senses.

I laughed. It's been years since I faced as Mandalorian whose armor was concealed by alchemy. So she did have a relic from the good old days.

This was going to be fun!

I enhanced myself with the Force and ran forward. I leaped over the nearest obstacle and landed on a five meters tall metal pillar. That gave me a good view – only the far end was mostly obscured by a jagged line of platforms.

Two micro-missiles popped up behind a column to my left, then streaked straight at me. My left hand snapped up and I blasted them out of the air with a lighting strike. In the same moment, I drew my lightsaber.

Four more missiles vaulted over the column, followed by Bo, who flew on a jet of fire. I threw away the ordinance with a wide telekinetic push, which caught the Mandalorian just as she halted her ascent. She left the Force wave push her back and opened fire with her blasters, before leveling her flight and darting straight at me. I activated my saber and started deflecting the shots, then sent a lighting bolt at her. To my surprise, Bo kept on coming – my attack harmlessly slid over her armor, which now had a corona of Dark Side energy dancing all over it.

I whistled with appreciation – that was a damn nice kit, that resembled my old armor in capabilities.

Instead of facing Bo head on, I let myself fall behind the column I was standing on. While I was descending, I slashed it through the middle and used the Force to tear it in two. As I landed, I sent the piece of durasteel hurling at Bo, who dodged in the last moment and retaliated with the heavy missile mounted on the top of her jet-pack.

I caught the weapon with my mind and threw it at the oncoming warrior, who banked to the right. I crushed the missile just as she was dodging it. The warhead blew up and threw Bo off course. While she managed to correct her flight and avoided slamming into a two meter tall pillar, she missed me by a large margin. Her shoulder brushed the column and that let her armor discharge the Sith lighting that had been dancing all over her for the last few seconds.

Using the Force, I called one of my blasters in my waiting free hand and opened fire on Bo. She flew up and returned the favor, before diving towards me. I hit her twice only for my shots to deflect from a shield. At the same time, I intercepted her fire with my blade, sending it to pock-mark the nearby pillars.

Bo suddenly twisted her body, so her legs pointed at me and used her jet-pack. to slow down her approach just as I jumped forward and let my blaster go. She laughed and activated a flame-thrower built around her left arm, hosing the rapidly shrinking distance between us with liquid fire. My own laughter boomed in response and I drove right through the flames, which covered my armor and started burning through the upper ablative layer. When I emerged from the fire, I found myself starring at a grenade flying my way. Acting on instinct, I shoved the explosive away with the Force.

Unfortunately, it chose that moment to blow up and threw me back into a nearby pillar. Bo received a similar treatment and slammed into a tall column, before rolling over it.

I fell to the ground and used the Force to tear the burning substance from my armor, which left it covered with moderately deep rends. A moment later, I threw two frag grenades behind the pillar where Bo disappeared. She rolled around its corner an instant before they blew up and sprinted my way. I jumped to my feet and sent a pair of stun darts at her.

Perhaps she sensed my attack, perhaps she planned it all along, but just as I shot at her, Bo jumped forward and flew at me with her jet-pack. One dart missed and the other simply glanced off her shoulder to no effect. I tried to push her away with the Force, using a decidedly non-lethal telekinetic push.

That only staggered her and a moment later, Bo shoulder-tackled me, driving the air out of my lungs. We crashed in the ground with deafening clanging of armor on durasteel and the force of the impact threw us off each other. It also made me drop my lightsaber.

I rolled and surged to my knees, activating the vibro-blades built in my arm-guards. A moment later, I had gathered the Force around me as a shield and charged Bo, who was just finding her footing.

She managed to deflect my right arm with her hand and my blade merely grazed her helmet. Bo activated her own built in vibro-blade and tried to gut me, but I blocked her hand with my forearm. She twisted in an incredible way, demonstrating an almost impossible flexibility and slammed a foot in my chest, pushing me back. Then she tried to open the distance even more with her jet-pack., but just as the Mandalorian started to fly away, I caught her pack with the Force.

Bo cursed and hit the release and landed on her feet. I crushed the jet-pack. and threw it away, while Bo opened fire with wrist-mounted blasters. My shields absorbed the first salvo and popped, but that gave me enough time to summon my saber and activate it. Two shots burned craters in my armor, though it held before I could catch the rest on my blade.

I raised a hand and caught Bo in a telekinetic grip, then I pulled her towards me. She cursed and continued to futilely shoot at me for a moment, before her hands dropped to her belt and she pulled a pair of grenades with a blue stripe in the middle.

I chuckled as she thew them at me. A dismissive gesture later, the grenades flew to the left, but that was enough to break my hold on her.

The Mandalorian drew a vibrosword from behind her back and charged me.

"The old fashioned way, eh?" I grinned and met her with my saber.

Our blades met and her sword didn't held it's own. It was either beskin or cortosis plated at the very least.

Bo attacked with desperate ferocity, attempting to overwhelm me with a flurry of well aimed powerful blows. I parried, deflected or dodged her attacks for a few seconds, then went on the offensive.

It didn't take long to figure out, that while she was rather good, Bo simply lacked the experience with a blade to last against me for more than a minute or two. It was going to take that long only because I didn't want to accidentally maim her.

She apparently got to the same conclusion. Bo suddenly let her sword go, activated her built in vibroblade and tackled me. Acting on instinct, I slammed my lightsaber in her chest as she surprised me. Her armor started glowing from the energy it was deflecting and absorbing but held as Bo slammed into me and raised a hand to for a lethal strike. I let my saber fall and grabbed her wrist a moment before she slammed her blade in my helmet.

Bo tried to slam her other hand in my head and laughed when I caught it too. She opened her fingers to reveal a live grenade.

"Insane woman!" I laughed back and released an uncontrolled telekinetic wave to shove her and the explosive off me.

Bo landed hard a few meters away and the grenade went off behind a low metal panel, which absorbed most of the blast wave. That didn't deter her. She was on her feet a heartbeat later and charged me again. Bo started firing with a wrist-blaster and that damn flamethrower again.

I drew deeply from the Dark Side formed a shield from the Force that absorbed the Mandalorian's attacks. I grinned under my helmet and my heart raced faster and faster. I hadn't had such fun in a long damn time!

It was time to get close and personal. I called my lightsaber, activated it mid-flight and used it to carefully cut through Bo's wrist-blaster. She jumped back as the blade ghosted over her hand and left her with one less weapon. Before she could steady her footing, I used the Force to tear out her flame thrower and threw it away with enough strength to shatter it on the ceiling.

Dashing forward, I was upon her a moment later. Bo intercepted my fist with her arm-guard and retaliated with a jab at my throat. I just lowered my head, catching it with the lower part of my helmet – something that I immediately regretted as my head started ringing.

She went on the offensive bombarding me with short, strong punches and the occasional kick aimed at my knees. I went on the defensive for a few moments, taking the hits on my arm-guards, or occasionally on my chest plate, before deflecting her next strike and tackling her with a Force-assisted jump.

We struck the ground hard, though it was worse for Bo, who had to absorb the impact of my armored bulk. We found ourselves helmet to helmet and she immediately head-butted me. I grunted and saw stars for an instant, before slamming a fist in her helmet, then I placed my vibro-blade a centimeter above her visor.

"Do you yield?" I asked.

A blue flash engulfed us and we were stuck to each other by a blue, pulsing jelly like substance.

"An adhesive grenade? I haven't seen those since coming here." I muttered, then I gently tapped her visor with the blade – my right hand was mostly free.

"Draw." Bo chuckled and carefully nodded to where our chests were touching. I could feel her hand crushed between us.

"You have another live grenade, don't you?" I chuckled.

"Thermal detonator actually." I knew she was grinning under her helmet.

"Well played."

"Not really." Bo sighed. "You weren't trying to kill me."

"And you did." I couldn't keep the amusement out of my voice.

"Yes. I did."

The adhesive gel started slowly fading around us. I used the Force to tear it apart and carefully stood up. Bo deactivated the detonator and accepted the hand I offered her, helping her to her feet. She pocketed the explosive and removed her helmet, revealing a sweaty hair and a smiling face.

"We need to do this again some time." Bo chuckled.

"Any time you want." I smiled and removed my helmet, letting the smell of burning metal and spice hit my face.

Her smile widened.

"Come with me. We aren't done yet." She walked towards the closest door.

"Is that so?" I followed.

"We fought with weapons and armor for a second time. Now we'll do it one last time – the Echani way." Bo purred.

"Hand to hand, no weapons and armor?" I asked to make sure.

"No Force tricks. I'm not a full Echani. I couldn't properly read you under all that metal, though I like what I saw."

"So you can read emotions and feelings through combat?"

"Not as well as my grandmother or mother could." She paused and looked over her shoulder, "But I can indeed."

**=RK=**

**Guest suites**

**Royal Palace**

**Sundari**

**Mandalore**

Without armor to slow her down, Bo was incredibly fast. Her toned body moved like quicksilver. For every hit I could land, she delivered two or three. She danced around me, weaving in and out of range only to strike and fade away.

The closest I came to ending the fight was when I almost grappled her a minute ago, though she slipped away thanks to sheet of sweat covering our bodies and I got a nasty bruise for my efforts.

It was awesome! I hadn't felt more alive in years!

Bo laughed and dashed in for another strike, which I let slip through my guard so I could close the distance. Our bodies slammed into each other with I used my greater bulk to push her back into a nearby column. Bo nearly slipped away after she planted her elbow under my breast bone and drove my air out. I doubled over and used the position to slam my shoulder in her gut, before she was able to knee me in the face. She grabbed my neck in a hold and squeezed. I slammed a fist in her side, leaving her breathless and freeing myself.

That didn't stop her from kicking me in the knee and sending me stumbling to the ground. While I was falling my hand shot up and grabbed Bo, pulling her down with me. We fell in a tangled web of limbs and stood there breathless for a few moments. Bo squirmed over me, trying to stand up, but I had none of that and we ended up wrestling – where my greater strength gave me a bit of advantage, that was all but lost by how sweaty we were.

Then we somehow ended with BO straddling me and I was holding her fist just above my nose.

"I quite like this position." I smirked.

"I can feel that." Bo's voice was a throaty purr. She lowered her head and our lips met.


	92. Chapter 26 Parts 1&2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**Phase 26: Requiem for Mandalore**

**=RK=**

**Part 1**

**Conference room**

**Royal Palace**

**Sundari**

**Mandalore**

"Did you follow my advice?" I asked Obi-Wan.

The Jedi muttered something I couldn't hear and shook his head.

"You do look a bit disheveled and flustered." I continued.

"And you look like you went a round with a Wookie." Kenobi nodded towards my face.

"That would have been easier." I grinned. "Last night was worth every bruise and cracked rib."

"Too much information."

"Why? Didn't you play hide the lightsaber with Satine?"

"Veil, you would test a saint's patience." Obi-Wan glared at me.

"If your Duchess is anything like her sister in bed, you have nothing to complain about."

"Veil!" The Jedi hissed.

Our banter was interrupted by Bo and Satine entering the room. My girlfriend wore her usual armor, though it was painted black and had the Kryze symbol painted on the chest instead of the Death Watch emblem. Next to her, Satine looked a bit out of place clad in a suit of light green armor.

The Prime Minister walked a step behind the sisters. "The trainers just landed and will be arriving in a few minutes." Almec stated.

"Good. Bo?" I asked.

"Right here." My girlfriend patted a pouch on her belt. "All the data I have on Death Watch and what you took from the assassins."

"Splendid. So Duchess, when are you going to make Obi-Wan here a proper Mandalorian?"

"He's a stubborn Jedi, but I'll convince him sooner that latter."

"Corrupting Jedi, sister?" Bo smiled. "I knew you had it in you."

"Shush you."

"Hey! I'm right here!" Obi-Wan protested.

"If you need pointers on how to make him beg to become a Mandalorian, just ask." Bo continued undeterred.

"I'll manage, thank you very much." Satine muttered in a dry voice.

"General Veil, have you decided how to sell your potential change in status to the Republic?" The Duchess decided to leave Kenobi alone.

"A few. Mandalore's critical strategic location, the potential to bring a whole sector to our side, a promise that the Mandalorians won't be turning on the Republic among other things. We'll probably need some high profile missions to prove our worth to the war effort. I think Mandalorian strike teams augmented by Jedi going after strategic targets to either softer up or outright take enemy held planets. Further – trainers. The Republic is just beginning a huge expansion of the armed forces with non-Clone personnel."

"That might work, if you survive the initial backslash."

"There's that. In the end, we'll need to keep Mandalore intact for at least two months – after that holding this world would be easier." I smiled.

"How so?" Bo asked.

"An old project of mine will be operational once again in seven weeks."

"It must be something special if you believe it could help secure this planet." Obi-Wan added.

"Oh, it is. You'll all see it when the time comes."

"Any news about Vizsla's supporters? How many Clan Leaders are likely to vote for him?" Bo asked the Prime Minister.

Almec frowned. "It's unclear. Before the Duchess' statement, he was the only viable candidate, but didn't have enough support to become Mandalore. However, Vizsla and his agents were busy. I know he met with half a dozen Clan Leaders yesterday alone, though if they will support him or not remains to be seen."

"We can count on Yomaget and most Clans running weapon manufacturing business. Those I met with personally love what we can offer them."

"There are a lot of people who will jump at the chance to be the ones rearming Mandalore." Bo interjected. "However, some of them won't care whose weapons they will be building."

"True. Yomaget's support will be important. He's practically the most powerful Clan Leader and one of the most influential." Satine added. "Are you sure he'll really support you?"

"Reasonably, considering what I offered him and his corporation."

"That surprise of yours?" Almec asked.

"Among other things."

The door rang as an armored fist knocked on it.

"Enter." Satine's clear voice ordered.

The doors opened up and revealed a corridor full with armed and armored Mandalorian warriors. I recognized three of the four people crowding the entrance thanks to their armors – Kal Skirata, Mij Gilamar and Walon Vau.

"General." I returned Skirata's salute. "I'm glad you could get here so fast."

"Fortunately we still control hyperspace lanes allowing us rapid transit from Kamino to home." Gilamar added.

"Hopefully we'll be able to keep it that way. Please do go in."

Fifty Mandalorians and eight Republic Commandos made their way inside and gathered around the table. A brief round of introductions followed, allowing me to put names to the rest of Skirata's command group – Rav Bralor, Vhonte Tervho and Cort Davin. The first two were women in red armor and the latter a tall man in forest green.

"We're here General Veil. Make your pitch." Skirata went straight to the point.

"Do I have to outline the situation again?" I asked.

"Only anything relevant that happened since we headed this way." Bralor answered.

"Well, the Clan Leaders will be gathering here in five days to choose Mandalore. Needless to say, Vizsla has been a busy little gangster. He or his agents had been meeting with Clan Leaders, trying to either plead to their honor, offer them deals or threaten their families."

"You've got to be joking." Tervho exclaimed. "Sir." She added a moment later.

"Wish I had. Yesterday morning I went to talk with Kole Ordo. A few hours before I got there, he had been visited by Death Watch members who threatened his daughter Mira if he didn't support Vizsla. I don't think that would be an isolated accident."

"He won't win many votes that way." Skirata frowned.

"No. He won't be trying to threaten most Clan Leaders either."

"Last time I checked, there were just Kole and his kid. Not many people left on Mandalore he could trust these days." Kal sighed. "What is Kole going to do?"

"He was planning to leave Mandalore. I gave him a personal frequency he can contact me on – to either help him disappear or provide protection for Mira if he decides to support me."

"Support you? Who's your candidate for Mandalore?" Rav asked.

"That would be me." I stated calmly.

The room suddenly grew quiet. If I could convince these people, I would be that much closer to gaining the title. There were at least three Clan Leaders among the Cuy'val Dar in the room.

**=RK=**

**Part 2**

**Conference room**

**Royal Palace**

**Sundari**

**Mandalore**

"You want to be the next Mandalore?" Skirata asked. His expression was an interesting mixture of stunned disbelief and shock. The rest of the trainers weren't much better, though if their faces were anything to go by, they were suddenly doubting my sanity. "An outsider, who if rumor's to be believed is detached from this age and has no idea what we need as a people." The General continued. "How this… questionable idea, help save our people from another civil war? From where I stand it's likely to cause one."

"Prevent a clash with the Death Watch? That's inevitable. That cancer has to be removed. Now, mitigating any engagements between Mandalorians, that's doable. I think so at least." I stared down Skirata.

"That doesn't answer Kal's question. We didn't come back to support your power plays." Bralor added.

"That's one way to look at the situation." I nodded. "It's all a matter of perspective."

"Aren't you supposed to be a Sith, not a Jedi?" A Mandalorian whose name I didn't catch interjected. "Speak plainly, no word games."

"If that's your desire. Frankly, if all I was going for was power, the best thing I could do to preserve my current station as one of the most powerful men in the galaxy would be to burn down Mandalore as some Senators and generals would love me to. That's the only way to somewhat mitigate the hit on my power base and reputation this whole fiasco is going to cause, no matter it's ultimate outcome." I glared at the assembled warriors. That gave them some food for thought.

"How exactly is that an incentive to help you become our leader?" Skirata asked. "It sounds as a reason to consider you an enemy."

"If Death Watch takes power or just starts a civil war, the Republic will have to intervene to prevent the CIS gaining Mandalore as an ally or at the very least using this system and the surrounding area as a staging ground."

"The ensuring battles will see our people divided and destroyed no matter which side wins." Bralor stated. "That's why you called us here, isn't it?"

"True. An engagement over Mandalore is inevitable – the capital world is at important strategic location, one neither side can afford to leave in enemy hands. Do I have to explain what havoc a fleet of raiders stationed here could wreak on the nearby hyperlanes? I do remember the great blockade which almost strangled the Republic by cutting easy access to the Outer Rim."

"Ultimately we don't have enough ships to have a decisive role in this." Skirata sighed.

"We have millions of warriors on this world alone, with many more spread through the sector or busy being mercenaries and bounty hunters, however in the grand scheme of things that isn't a decisive number." Gilamar added. "What do you have to gain by becoming Mandalore? Somehow I doubt you're trying to do it of the goodness of your heart."

"Of course not, though the primary reasons I want the job are actually sentimental ones if you can believe it."

The newcomers stared at me as if I grew another head.

"Fine. You're not a Jedi, that's for sure. But you aren't acting like a Sith. So who or what the kriff are you?"Davin asked.

I snorted. "Truly, my people's reputation has gone down the drain. What do you expect me to be? A raging imbecile who solves every problem through the most direct and brutal way imaginable? Someone too busy with his research and experiments to pay attention to the larger world?" I shook my head. "There are many kinds of Sith, something you people should know better than most. Or were at any rate." I shrugged.

"Fair enough." Skirata waved a hand. "Enough off topic discussion, Cort. I want answers and a very good reason why we shouldn't leave right now. No one becomes Mandalore over sentimental reasons, especially not a Sith."

"True. If those were my only reasons, I simply wouldn't be able to justify trying to gain the title. For those who might be unaware or disbelieving – the rumors are true. I'm from the Old Republic era. I began my training as a Sith on Korriban shortly before the Sack of Coruscant and the long not so cold war, that followed. In my time I've fought beside many Mandalorians and some of my best friends were Stephen and Mako Ordo. For me, it was just a year ago that I was on this world, drinking Tihaar with Mandalore the Dauntless and his wife. It's in the honor of the great friendship I had with them that I want to see their people, their culture prosper again." I paused.

Most of the Cuy'val Dar had looks of disbelief on their faces, while the rest kept their thoughts behind expressionless masks.

"Proof?" Skirata asked.

"None that can convince you." I shrugged. "How do I prove that I'm a Sith of old?" My lips twitched into a grim smile. "How do I prove that I am the Black Knight of folklore?"

"Any proof you can give could be an elaborate fabrication." Bralor sighed. "Even your powers – we've read stories, seen ancient holo-vids, but all that means is that you could be someone rediscovered old techniques and powers."

"That's a reasonable conclusion. Kriff, even if I was a clone of Darth Vael, who someone got the original's memories, that would be easier to believe that I traveled thousands of years in the future." I shook my head.

"We'll get nowhere with this. I still want to hear why should we consider supporting you." Tervho stated.

I gave the warrior a nod. "With your help, I can make Mandalore and its people great again. I will do my best to reunite our scattered people, forging them into a single nation based on honor and the principles of the Mandalorian culture. This whole sector once either belonged to answered to the Mandalorians and that's how it shall be once again."

"That's a tall order, though at least you have ambitious plans." Skirata mussed. "What about the Death Watch?"

"The majority of their members are nothing but honor-less thugs who know nothing of being honorable warriors. We'll expose them for what they are and crush them as the criminal scum they are."

"That's something I can get behind." Bralor nodded. "Still you don't need to be Mandalore for that."

"I need to become Mandalore, because that's the only chance any of us has of bringing the Mandalorian people together behind a single banner. A civil war on top of the Republic and CIS slugging it in space and on the ground here would be disastrous."

"We'll fall divided, easy prey for either side." Skirata sighed. "That is, isn't it? We need not only a Mandalore who can bind us together, but one that the Republic would find acceptable."

"Not quite. One that I find acceptable." I looked him in the eyes. "I can't afford to leave the Mandalorian situation unresolved. While there may be someone I've overlooked, the only viable candidates right now are either Vizsla or people in his camp. None of them would do and even if there was a viable alternative, they would need to convince me that they would be supporting the Republic in this war until the Confederacy is done for."

"How is that our problem?" Devin asked.

"We're a potential threat – long term I mean." Skirata answered. "Right now we don't have a decent navy, no real army to speak of, though we have millions of experienced infantry. Our warriors have training and equipment rivaling or outright outmatching the GAR, though that means little without logistics, navy or armored forces. However, give us two years and that can change – we could have a decent fleet built in that time along with equipping ourselves for a war like this one. A few more years and neither side would be able to simply dictate us demands and treaty terms – we would be a major player on the galactic stage once again. We have the potential to become one right now, though we're divided and that holds us back."

"With what resources?" Devin asked.

"Uniting this sector would be enough by itself, though that alone would take too much time. Using captured CIS industries and equipment, Republic aid and my own resources – those can make an united Mandalore something no one in their right minds will kriff with. However, all of that is a long term concern. The war is likely to be decided one way or another in the next two years. If leveraged properly, the existing number of Mandalorian warriors might be enough to tip the scales in the Republic's favor. That's what I get short term at the price of possibly losing my position as a general in the Republic army and for sure getting my current powers significantly reduced. I'm banking that we'll be able to hold on long enough to make that sacrifice worth it."

"Now, this is something I can buy." Skirata nodded. "Let's talk details. All you've really told us is your vision for the future, one I at least might be persuaded to accept. How exactly are you going to accomplish it? How are you going to unite our people behind yourself?"

"Good questions."


	93. Interlude:The Confederacy strikes back I

**AN: I'm utterly stuck at the Mandalorian ark so far, so here's a couple of updated about the CIS leadership and how they're doing with the current mess. Thanks to butterflies, there are two new Councilors on the Confederate Council, who are determined to start rocking the boat **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**=RK=**

**Interlude: The Confederacy strikes back I**

**Council Chamber**

**Raxus Secundus**

**Confederacy of Independent systems capital world**

**Three of the most influential people within the Council were gathered for this meeting.**

Shu Mai – the old Gossam, who had served as the Presidente of the Commerce Guild for years. Next to her stood San Hill, the Muun chairman of the Intergalactic Banking Clan, an institution that suddenly found itself under censure after one of it's leaders played an important part in the disastrous peace conference that saw Senator Amidala in a coma within undisclosed location and got a lot of the peace inclined Confederacy parliament members killed.

Last but certainly not the least was Trest Ilroth – the new Neimoidian Viceroy of the Trade Federation. Thanks to the way their hive mind worked, he was their undisputed leader, further his ascension to the position was a good thing for multiple reasons. Chief among them was that Gunrey's death had caused the Trade Federation to stop working until a new leader could be chosen and assume the position.

The other reason was actually more important… Thanks to the way the Neimoidian hive mind worked, Ilroth was aware of his predecessor's dealings with certain Sith and deeply disapproved. Now he actually was in a position to do something, manly thanks to a fluke – the people who were supposed to be the next in line were not in position to seize power when Gunrey got himself killed thanks to being too busy running various errands for him. That very thought made Trest smile. Becoming a leader of his people and the Trade Federation thanks to his predecessor's hubris, now wasn't that some sweet irony?

"We're all here." Hill spoke quietly. "You called us here, Viceroy. I hope it's important." The tall Muun's eyes bore into Tresk's own.

The Neimoidian stared back. "Dooku was right about one thing, you know." Ilroth mussed. "The Republic senate is under the control of a Sith who is behind this war. Our dear Count just forgot to mention that he's the Sith's apprentice and running our side of the war for that man."

That little bombshell made the other leaders stare at him with disbelief. After all, those were few of the Council members who actually weren't aware who they were really working for.

"Do you actually have any proof?" Mai asked after a few moments of deafening silence.

"I actually have." Tresk smiled and pulled a small holoemmiter from a pocket in his traditional Viceroy pockets. "My predecessor kept a record of few conversations with the Sith." Ilroth activated the device and the three of them watched a few conversations between Sidious and Gunrey, the first dating as far back as the ill thought and planned invasion of Naboo.

The last was the Sith issuing orders shortly before Gunrey got himself captured and killed in that botched rescue attempt at Rodia.

"That puts the war in a new light. The madness that's been happening the lately..." Mai shook her head.

"I can confirm that the Sith assisted in the creation of the Confederacy." San Hill sighed. His colleagues stared at him at the admission.

"This is going to be good. Please elaborate." Tresk waved at the Muun.

"The Sith have been in contact with the Banking Clans for decades. We had a mutually profitable arrangement, something we've come to review after what's been happening lately."

"You didn't expect a Sith to betray you eventually?" Mai snorted.

"The mutual profit was great." The Muun muttered sullenly. "It makes no sense to nationalize our assets within the Republic!"

"And this Sith of yours has the power to prevent it?" The Gossam female needled him.

"He's the kriffing Chancellor Palpatine, of course he can!" Hill snapped back.

"Palpatine." Mai repeated in a flat tone.

"Him. Yes." San grumbled.

"That's my conclusion too." Ilroth added helpfully.

The Presidente groaned and slumped back in her chair. "It should be obvious with the benefit of hindsight, no? This senseless destruction of late? The wanton slaughter without purpose aside terror tactics? It's something that a Sith of legend should be doing. Then there's this third one – Veil."

"He was unexpected." Hill interjected. "As far as I knew, there were always only two ever since we were first contacted."

"It's the same for us… though until Naboo Gunrey believed that there was just one Sith."

"So there could be even more waiting an opportune moment to reveal themselves?" Mai asked.

Two sullen nods answered her.

"Dooku will be arriving here tomorrow." Ilroth added helpfully.

"He'll want to reaffirm his position as a leader of the Council." Hill nodded.

"The Sith would bring us to run and after their latest shenanigans there won't be peace unless we win or lose our heads." Mai sighed. "I trust that none of you want to be tried by a Republic court for mass murder and anything else they decide to throw at us if we lose?"

"There won't be a trial if a Sith led Republic wins. Just a quiet execution." Tresk interjected.

"Some of us know too much and the others could prove to be thorns in Palpatine's side once he's won."

"Well, then we'll have to make sure that the Confederacy wins this war or we all hang." Mai grimaced.

"That's easier said than done." Hill stated.

"True. However, the new leader of the Techno Union will be arriving tonight. He might not be in the Sith's pockets or even if he's bought we should try making him a better offer." Mai looked thoughtful.

"The four of us would have enough assets to make change." Tresk said. "That might be enough to confront Dooku and survive."

"It's a deadly gamble you propose." Hill looked shifty for a moment.

"It's either that or we're all dead anyway. Do you really think that a Sith would reward us with anything but death once he has no more use for us?" Mai sneered.

"It doesn't make any business sense! We could still be useful."

"You should have learned that by now, Hill. A Sith don't think like us normal beings." Ilroth sighed. "The madness of the last half an year or so should be a proof enough."

**=RK=**

**Techno Union Suites**

**Rexus Secundus**

"I see." Kleo Vombra, the cyborg chosen as the new leader of the Techno Union just a few days ago, rasped. He was a humanoid who had all his visible flesh replaced by cybernetics – making him look like a particularly advanced combat droid – which made it impossible to determine what species he used to be.

Those who knew him before the extensive augmentations would see little if anything left from the tall Zabrak in the hulking figure made of durasteel.

Vombra's artificial eyes scanned the three Confederacy leaders sitting in his guest suite – an almost sterile room which could be mistaken for a particularly high tech workshop. The only thing giving a lie to that distinction was the steel table in the center, surrounded by chairs that looked comfortable for those poor sods who were still mere flesh and bone instead of steel and cybernetics.

"That explains some of Tambor's shenanigans." The cyborg spoke in mechanical voice, which nevertheless could very well express his exasperation. "From the Union's point of view, my predecessor's actions on Ryloth were a pointless waste of resources with nothing of real value to gain." And a lot to lose, he didn't add aloud. "You're here for a reason, not to cry on my shoulder." Kleo's photo-receptors scanned the Council members.

"We plan to move against Dooku tomorrow. If he's reaffirmed as our leader, the Confederacy will be done for." Ilroth stated.

"We too as its leaders, you mean." Vombra gave out a mechanical chuckle that echoed within the room. "Did any one of you asked the relevant questions?"

"Can we win the war?" Tresk did so.

"We talked about it." Hill nodded. "While the situation is less than ideal, we have some untapped advantages."

"The way we've all fought on the cheap so far?" Kleo asked. "Using low quality droids and mere frigates as our main combatants?" The mere idea was an anathema for the Union's Foremans, yet they were somewhat content to pour more and more money into R&amp;D, liquid assets made free by not needing to produce armies of top of the line droids and fleets of better ships.

That was going to change – Dooku at least had a few decent ideas. What could those people offer the Union?

"True." It was Mia who spoke this time. "We've used only our security forces so far – granted we expanded them greatly, but that's it. We're well aware that when seeking to build them we were more interested by cheap good enough solution instead of what is best."

"Can you afford enough of the best?" Kleo asked the most important question.

The three beings looked at each other, then Hill nodded.

"The Banking Clans, Commerce Guild and Trade Federation can finance the war for the next three years if we start mass producing our various high quality military units as well as various experimental designs. Our estimates are that the war would be either won or lost by the time we're about to run out of money and the economy is threatened by collapse."

"Barring enemy action against our infrastructure?" Vombra asked.

"The credits would still be available, but the economy could collapse sooner in that case." Tresk added.

"So finally you're about to open your bank accounts for the war effort." Kleo would have smiled if he still could. "In a matter of fact, Dooku already ordered such – a phased replacement of most of our current armies with better, more expensive models. The same for our navy – though it all would take some time and careful balancing."

"We're ready to pay for a victory. The price of defeat would be unthinkable." Hill grunted, in grim acceptance.

"Then we might have a deal. The Techno Union would have some conditions in order to support you."

"Let's talk business then." Mia smiled.

**=RK=**

**Interlude: The Confederacy strikes back II**

**Noon, the next day**

**Council Chamber**

**Raxus Secundus**

**Confederacy of Independent systems capital world**

Count Dooku walked in, head held high. He knew that trouble awaited him within – the sense of unease he had all morning, combined with the heightened security he noticed after landing were clear giveaways. The Councilors were restless. The Sith had no doubt that they would demand explanations, perhaps even try to remove him from the position of nominal leader of the Confederacy – something that he simply couldn't allow.

The Count felt unease, even fear, before he entered the familiar Council chambers… which were much less so today. It took all his composure and years of experience as diplomat not to halt just past the threshold. The large room was much different than he remembered. The long table that dominated the center of the chamber was cut in half and the Councilors were sitting at the far end, leaving a quite large open space between them and the door.

There were two platoons of Commando droids standing at attention along the walls, flanking him – all armed with vibroblades. Further, Dooku could clearly see a hastily installed shield generators at the far end of the chamber, generators that activated with a quiet hum and separated the Councilors from him with a thick wall of energy.

Another platoon armed with distinct sonic screamers were behind the shield, ready to step between him and the table.

"What is the meaning of this?" Dooku snapped, not bothering to hide his anger – after all, pulling such a stunt on anyone would infuriate them, much less someone of his statute.

"It should be obvious, _my lord._" Ilroth Tresk, the new Viceroy of the Trade Federation stood up. "Everyone in here knows what you are. Some of our predecessors had profitable relationship with the Sith. That's in the past."

"Viceroy, be careful what you accuse me of." Dooku spoke quietly, adding a suggestion through the Force.

"I..." Tresk shook his head. "I… am not AS WEAK WILLED AS GUNRAY!" The Neimoidian snapped.

"Using your powers to influence us?" A flat mechanical voice hissed.

That gave Dooku pause. He had left his previous meeting with Foreman Kleo with the impression that the new Techno Union leader was on board with the Sith plans. The Count narrowed his eyes at the gathered Councilmen. Hill, Mia, the Neimoidian… those had the strongest feeling of defiance around them. A few of the rest too, but within them the fear was stronger.

If he could handle the ring leaders properly, the rest would fell in line, Dooku knew that from years of working with them. However, two of the group were new – he had precious little first hand experience with them. In fact they shouldn't have been the new leaders of their respective factions, however the chaos and unrest caused by the war conspired to push them forward instead of more manageable candidates. Dooku was determined to ensure that their replacements were going to be more tractable.

"I'm unsure what you mean, Foreman Kleo." The nobleman answered calmly. He was more interested in the defenses set up around the room, than in what the group of dissidents had to say.

"Given all you've done for the Confederacy, some Council members insisted to give you an opportunity to explain yourself." Sui Mia spoke in a composed tone, that didn't betray any of the anxiety she radiated.

"What about everything he and his master did to the Confederacy?" Ilroth snipped.

"That we already discussed." The Gossam woman shrugged.

"This seems to be an inquisition." Dooku frowned at the Councilors. "What am I being accused of?"

"Being a Sith, engineering this war for your own profit and mishandling it to the deterrent of the Confederacy." Ilroth spoke with new found confidence. "There was just one Sith a decade ago – the one my predecessor unwisely made a deal. The one who promised him that the Senate would be handled. Then there were two – an apprentice who died on Naboo."

"There appears to be two Sith these days. One Master and one apprentice. So the Council believed when I was a Jedi." Dooku shrugged, reminding them of the role he played – that of an enemy of the Sith who was just doing what he believed best… even if that meant starting a civil war that was ravaging the galaxy. It was surprising how many beings bought the charade as truth. There were at least few on this very Council too.

"Really? I thought that there were three. Wasn't it curious that this new Sith – Veil, appeared just as we were winning the war? Just to reverse our fortunes too, especially when some of our members could confirm that our Confederacy was supposedly backed by the Sith?" Hill glared.

Dooku raised an eyebrow at that. The banker was afraid all right, anxious too, but there was a feeling of rising anger and more importantly – betrayal. It took the Count a few seconds to mentally review the more important events that might cause that and he had to suppress a wince. After the events on Neimodia, Sidious had moved to consolidate his control over the Banking Clans assets within the Republic. That appeared to be a mistake now.

"You all know that the Republic is under the control of a Sith – who is our real enemy."

"True. From certain point of view." Kleo's mechanical voice interrupted Dooku, irritating the Sith. "The apprentice would turn on the master eventually, wasn't that a part of your code?"

"It's a part of the Sith code. I am no Sith."

"Perhaps not." Shu Mia nodded, taking everyone aback. "We aren't concerned if you're a Sith or not. Only if you work against the Confederation and there is some proof about that."

"Then ask and I'll explain." Dooku nodded, fighting to keep a lid on his temper.

"We will. Why did the Sith engineered the bio-weapon attacks on Naboo and Coruscant?" Ilroth glared.

"Fellow Council members, the investigation is still ongoing." Dooku sighed. Unfortunately, Sev'rance hadn't been able to provide his anything solid on the perpetrators, besides confirming what he already knew – there was some kind of conspiracy withing the Confederacy with their own aims. "I can assure you that I have nothing to do with those attacks." Dooku was a picture of innocence as he said that. It was even the truth! He wasn't an idiot to escalate the war to such an extent at this time – doing so didn't serve his plans. "I can't speak about any hypothetical Sith within the Confederacy, much less about the one controlling the Republic."

"This charade is tiresome." Kleo gave a mechanical sigh. "We all know that you are a Sith. More than half of the Council had dealings with you or your Master while you operated as such."

That was true, however Dooku wasn't going to admit it for any conveniently placed camera so he could incriminate himself. It was clear that the meeting was a set-up, however his agents letting him walk in without a warning… He would have a long conversations about the price of failure with them.

"It's a charade, all right." Dooku snapped. "I'm being put on a trial on made up charges. Or are we going to pretend that this isn't a trial?"

"A trial? Not really. We aren't judges." Mia smiled. "Trying you for anything? That isn't in our power. However, removing you from your position within the Confederacy? That we could and did do."

"You're no longer our leader, Count Dooku." Ilroth added.

"Can't say I regret not being a part of a Council obviously chock full with backstabbers." The Sith shrugged. It was getting harder and harder to keep a lid on his anger. The Confederacy was his! He made it possible, he build it into what it was today! It was a tool for the Sith, one that would exist or die by their will.

"Still, you said I would be able to explain?" Dooku asked. He believed that the meeting was filmed and decided to play for the cameras, showing himself as the betrayed leader.

"And you lied to our faces." Mia's glared at him. "The bio-weapon attacks? Your pet, Grievous' excesses? Do you think all of us for blind fools, Count? That's not what the Confederacy stands for! That's not what we fight for!" The Gossam stood up and pointed an accusing finger at him. "Some of Gunrey's and Tambor's actions made no sense from either business or military perspective. However, acting under the influence of a Sith, who proves all the tales about their kind as true?" The old woman shook her head in disgust. "You engineered this war, you and your master and now the whole galaxy is paying the price for your games." Her words rang with conviction.

Dooku could almost respect her for knowing him to be a Sith and be ready to stand up to him despite that.

That wasn't going to make her death any less certain.

"That's a very grave accusation, Council woman Mia." Dooku shook his head with regret.

"Not as great as your crimes. You're under arrest, Count Dooku, to be handled to the Jedi so you can answer for your war-crimes." Tresk pointed at his chest.

Dooku glared back. "Do you expect me to come quietly so your cronies could arrange an accident before I could be handled back to my old colleagues?" The Count sneered.

He didn't believe for a moment that he would live if he went quietly… and even if he did, he didn't like his chances for escaping again.

"Do you really believe you can fight your way out of here?" Kleo asked with what sounded like professional interest.

"I think we're about to find out." Dooku muttered. He concentrated and extended his will through the Force, using it to activate a certain communicator he always carried with himself. Ghostly fingers entered a long pass-code within a moment, then pressed the activation button. A long string of binary was emitted – the shut down code built into the Droid armies of the Confederacy.

That was one of the contingencies his masher and Dooku himself had prepared while planning the war. So it was to the Count's great surprise that only a handful of droids shut down.

"I was wondering, if you would have a way to shut down our armies if everything I was told was true." Kleo mussed. "It appears to be so. Thank you for providing us with the code. Get him." The Foreman ordered the Commandos – all but the shut down machines were from his personal guard, build by his own specifications and having quite a different programing than the rank and file. In fact, almost all of the droids protecting this section of the city were made of personal troops provided by either him or his three co-conspirators and as such were built and programmed differently than the front-line troops.


	94. Interlude: The CIS strikes back 3&4

****Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.****

**Interlude: The Confederacy strikes back III**

**=RK=**

**Council Chamber**

**Raxus Secundus**

**Confederacy of Independent systems capital world**

Dooku let go of his control and he was engulfed by the rage he had been suppressing ever since entering the chamber. The Force itself rippled with the sheer magnitude of his fury as he drew on it like never before. His one good arm shot up and his power flowed through it, becoming a devastating wave of azure lighting that slammed into the Droids to his right. The machines were just becoming to move towards him when the energy picked them up and slammed them into the wall, before discharging into it.

The fried Commandos fell limply to the floor, yet that didn't deter the second platoon. The Sith simply smiled viciously, raised his artificial limb and opened its palm. A lance of crimson energy shot from it and speared through a pair of machines, burning through their armor as if it was a thin sheet of silk. Before the rest of the Droids could jump on him, the Count leaped back and used the Force to call his lightsaber from his belt. The weapon eagerly jumped into his open hand and he caught it mid-air, then cut in two a machine that was a bit faster than the rest.

Behind the shield, Foreman Kleo leaned forward. He was watching the spectacle with rapt attention, while taking notes – who knew when another Force user would need to be dealt with? The Techno Union leader hummed with delight when the third platoon entered the fray by unleashing their sonic screamers from the safety of the shielded area. Kleo paid no attention to the rest of the Councilors who were either watching the battle with sick fascination or were already whimpering wrecks, terrified that the Sith would be able to somehow get them.

Dooku jumped over a slash and unleashed his built in weapon again, slagging another droid. His saber moved like a lighting and stabbed the head of a Commando, before the Count landed and rolled aside just in time to avoid three machines that stabbed his former position. The Sith's saber snapped up, despite that he wasn't looking at the shielded part of the room. However, instead of deflecting a shot, a ripple passed through the energy blade and slammed into his side.

The Sith staggered and leaped forward, straight into a group of charging droids. He became a whirlwind of slashes, stabs and punches, fending of and crippling the machines. However, if he thought that the Droids would provide him with some kind of cover, he was sorely mistaken – the sonic screamers trailed on him and opened up again. The sound blasts did minor to no damage to the machines.

The flesh and blood human fending them off wasn't so lucky. While Commando chassis absorbed more than a few shots and Dooku dodged others with uncanny movements, other hit true. A blast caught his shoulder, another clipped a leg. Then three slammed into his chest just as he stabbed a droid.

Instead of falling down like a cut off tree, Dooku glared bloody murder at the Councilors and unleashed another wave of lighting at the remaining droids. He seemed unfazed by taking enough hits to knock out a pissed off Wookie.

Yet, to say that he was unaffected would be a lie. His lighting attack was wilder, less focused, more narrow. While it caught three Droids and hurled them into the shield, where they fried, the other two facing him narrowly avoided the blast. They wasted no time and charged the Sith who leaped to meet them.

One machine went low, while the other aimed at his shoulder. The last remaining droids – another three Commandos at his back sprinted to enter the fray too. Given that he already dispatched almost two platoons, the five droids should have been easy to handle. That proved to be true for the pair in front. A red laser carved open the chest of one, while the lightsaber deflected at slash aimed at the knees, before flashing up and cutting the Commando in two.

Dooku made an impossible stop and whirled around to meet the remaining machines, when he was hit again and again my screamers. Despite that he used the Force to throw away a droid, then battered away a vibroblade with his artificial arm and slammed his saber into the chest of the offending machine.

The third Droid was upon him before he could disengage from his latest victim. Dooku tried to use the destroyed Commando as a shield, yet despite his efforts a flashing blade caught his biceps and opened a deep gash into his hand.

While ignoring the pain wasn't hard for the Sith, that didn't help him when his hand stiffened and let go of the lightsaber. All Dooku could do was to jump back to avoid the vibroblade aimed at his face. He glared at the offending machine and raised his left hand. The Force was screaming constant warnings as the screamer shots kept on coming, but the Sith steadied himself for just a moment to aim, then fired just as something shoved his legs.

It took him a moment to comprehend that the lance of coherent light missed the oncoming droid's head. A blast clipped his head, making him dizzy for a moment and Dooku found himself staring at a sparkling upper half of a Commando that was missing its right arm. However, his other hand was very well and currently clamped around his right ankle.

He had no more time to stare at the pest. The Force practically screamed a warning that shook him. Dooku's head snapped up and his eyes widened – the last droid standing was practically upon him. The Sith used the Force to protect himself by hurling the machine away with as much strength as he could gather.

That proved to be less spectacular than he hoped. Instead of flying and smashing against the far wall, the Droid was merely staggered. It recovered almost instantly and delivered a powerful vertical slash that was going to spill Dooku's brains if he didn't use his artificial arm to block the strike. The vibroblade bit deeply into the light alloy making the prosthetic, disabling it from the elbow down and taking out the laser.

"Begone!" Dooku snapped and placed his blood and flesh palm on the Droid's chest, while gathering the Force for another lighting blast.

A blast that didn't materialize as sonic weaponry continued to strike him again and again. His vision became blurry and he felt sick. A metal fist slammed into his temple, sending him on his knees. A sonic blast struck the back of his head, making him shake and shattering the little concentration he had left. The last vestiges of the Force slipped through his fingers and the last thing he saw was a blade raised to take off his head.

Then Dooku finally succumbed under an avalanche of sonic blasts.

**=RK=**

**Interlude: The Confederacy strikes back IV**

**=RK=**

**Council Chamber**

**Raxus Secundus**

**Confederacy of Independent systems capital world**

"Is he dead?" Shu Mia asked after the fighting ground to a sudden halt. She stretched her tall neck to look at Dooku who was laying on the ground. The sole surviving Commando from two whole platoons towered above the Count with a blade ready to split his skull.

"I think we need to make a decision." Kleo interjected. His synthetic voice was level as usual. "Do we keep him as a prisoner – something mind you we can't guarantee given this demonstration," The Cyborg waved at the dozens of destroyed droids. "Or does it finish the job." He pointed at the Commando, which was obediently waiting for an order now that the threat was neutralized.

"If Dooku lives, he'll do his best to make sure we all die screaming." Ilroth added helpfully.

"I would have to agree." Hill sighed. "However, delivering him more or less intact to the Republic might be a gesture they would appreciate. Besides, he's to blame for the terror attacks upon their people." The banker paused. "Grievous too."

"He'll have to be dealt with like the mad dog he is." Mia frowned.

"He's still one of our best generals." Tresk groaned.

"That's debatable. He's good at killing Jedi and terrorizing people. Winning actually important battles…" The Foreman trailed off. As far as he was concerned, Grievous was a defective tool that needed either repair or scrapping.

"One problem at a time. What do we do with the Sith?" Tresk looked at the other Councilors, most of whom were still stunned by the sudden explosion of violence in front of them.

"He's a bargaining chip. Sedate him and ship him to the Republic before he could recover." Mia glared at the Count.

"I agree." Hill nodded.

"That could prove a prudent course of action." The cyborg indicated his agreement too.

"I'm on board then." Ilroth shrugged. "What about the rest of you? What do we do with that traitorous scum?" The Neimoidian addressed the rest of the Council.

One by one they started getting out of their stupor and soon enough a shouting match unfolded.

"ENOUGH!" Kleo used his vocalizer to emit an ear-spiting shout. "It's clear we were betrayed. His investigation," The Foreman pointed at Dooku, "was nothing more that an excuse to remove rivals or other obstacles to his plans. Unfortunately we'll have conduct our own investigation to root Dooku and his master's agents in the Confederacy, but that can't be helped. Unless any of you want to wait for them to arrange us some kind of unpleasant and final accident?"

Appealing to their self-preservation was a sure way to garner their attention, as he very well knew it would be. Ah, the weakness of flesh. Kleo at least could handle himself in a scrap if it came to that – what was the point of augmenting oneself if any idiot with a blaster or blade could pose a danger to you once it was done?

Having a battalion of droids as a personal bodyguards sure helped too.

"He's too dangerous to keep around. What are we going to do now?" Passel Argente, the Koorivar Magistrate of the Corporate Alliance asked. He was one of the few others to keep their composure during the short battle.

"Anyone for killing him?" Tresk asked. The rest of the Councilors simply shook their heads. He sighed. "Well, wrap him up, keep him stunned and heavily sedated and sent him to the Jedi I guess. As for your question..." The Trade Federation Viceroy looked at his fellow Councilors. "We need to get on top of this mess. Present an united front to the Parliament and the galaxy at large or internal division would see us all hanged by the Republic." If we're lucky, he added silently.

"Grievous. The war. We need to make some important decisions." Mia added.

"Our armed forces had lost the initiative these last few months – not something we can afford. In two months major batches of our construction would be coming online. The same would be true for the Republic two to three months afterward. That gives us a window of opportunity. If we seize and make a good use of it, that could set us up in a great position to win the war before the enemy could leverage their industrial advantages. Let's be frank with each other – we will have two such windows to win the war. In two months and about year and half from now. Unless we make a good use of them, the Republic would be able to bury us in ships after two to three years. I don't know what my predecessor and the Confederacy Intelligence services had been telling you, but that's how things stand."

"The Trade Federation concurs. That's our estimate too." Tresk added.

"Same for the Guild Analysts." Mia nodded.

"Our contacts withing the Republic agree on that estimate." Hill finished.

"We'll have to consult with Intelligence, but that sound right." Argente agreed.

"That's not what we were told!" Po Nudo, the former Aqualish senator, hissed. His eyes – two very huge and a pair of smaller ones were darting all over the Councilors.

"Then you were lied to." Tresk shrugged. It should be no surprise really.

"Grievous first." Hill changed the topic. "How do we deal with him? I had some oversight over his rebuilding. I can assure you, the man is unstable, though my concerns were overridden." The banker nodded at Dooku.

"Get him secured!" Kleo ordered the droids. "Stun him a few times first and keep doing it on regular intervals. Heavy sedation too."

"Roger, sir!" The LT commanding the intact platoon saluted and went on to carry out its instructions.

"Now that's dealt with..." Kleo turned his attention back to the Council. "Grievous needs to be removed. Dooku was the one to hold his leash and the man being a Sith explains the how. We don't have that going on for us and I personally don't want that madman to bring his fleet here and try blowing us up from orbit."

"Removal." Tresk agreed.

Within moments, the rest of the Councilors voted aye too. When all was said and done, Grievous might have been feared by all, but he had no real friends or supporters in the room. Many would breathe easier without that cyborg hanging over their heads – something that the conspirators had been counting on while they planned this meeting.

"That leaves the war." Tresk continued. "All of us have various talents, but we aren't generals or admirals. We have a certain lack of competent ones that could be relied upon right now."

"It's vital that we fix that oversight." Kleo nodded. "A short term solution would be to expand the authority of our tactical droids. Do remember that despite the name, most of them are perfectly capable of strategic planning too, though that function is usually restricted for various reasons. That said, we'll need to promote competent people to command and win, not merely execute terror attacks. We are a sovereign nation, not a bunch of terrorists." The Foreman stated.

"I agree. This is a war for our future, not a contest of who could kill most civilians. Doing so as collateral damage is regrettably unavoidable, but doing it simply to terrify – that's sheer foolishness. After the bio-weapon's attacks, the Republic's resolve haven't been weakened. It's stronger than ever."

"I think we all can agree on that." Hill nodded. Besides, wantonly killing one's potential or even actual customers for no good reason – that was idiotic from any point of view, not just very bad business.

"While we'll be doing our best to find ourselves competent military leaders, the overall strategic goals of the war are ours to decide. It's come to my attention that they have been very vague for the past year." The Foreman added. "What do we as the practical leaders of the Confederacy want from this war? Simply independence? A total victory and to replace the Republic? Simply destroy it? To force a change before re-integrating into a new Republic we can all live and prosper in? Those are questions we need to answer now. Doing so would determine how the war would be fought from this moment forward and what our commanders would need to achieve."

"That's all well and good, in the long term. What about short term? The Republic forces had stopped our advance cold practically everywhere." Nudo asked.

"One thing that I think we can all agree on is no more wasting assets on strategically insignificant systems if we can afford it. We need to knock out or at least degrade the Republic's industry and war machine."

"Kamino then." Argente stated. "Grievous tried to reach it before, but his fleet was unable to sneak in and had to retreat while he was hundreds of light years away."

"A sneak attack? Right now, Kamino is one of the most vital and well protected places in the Republic. A mere sneak attack won't be sufficient to reduce that system unless we are willing to escalate the war to the last, insane level." Kleo's artificial eyes blazed with green light. "You're right though. Kamino needs to go. Soon. However, we don't have the expertise to plan such an attack."

"Who is our best admiral?" Tresk asked.

"From the briefing I got upon assuming the position of High Foreman, I believe it's admiral Dua Ningo." Kleo said and waited for the inevitable explosion.

"NINGO?!" That came form Argente. "He presided upon the greatest defeat that our forces suffered in the war."

"True." The cyborg calmly agreed. "Any other commander, and don't forget that Grievous was present too, would have likely lost without crippling or destroying as much of the enemy fleet. You saw Dooku – what he did defies rational explanation. The republic fleet that struck Geonosis was led by another Sith. Who knows that sorcery -" Kleo spat the word as if it was the vilest of curses, "-that man used. By all accounts, the Republic forces were so well coordinated it was hard to believe. Also we have reports from the handful of surviving organic personnel that they felt acute despair and suffered decline in performance and coordination at the same time. Whatever that other Sith – Veil – did, it effected both fleets, which were spread over light minutes."

"I just a few minutes ago, I felt the need to do as Dooku suggested. As if my mind was not my own." Tresk shuddered at the memory. "Let's not forget that the Jedi are our enemies too and they too possess some of those abilities. I'm not one for fear mongering, but we would have to take this Force of theirs into an account in our planning."

"The Jedi, the Sith… They're a threat." Nudo spoke quietly. "One forced by the Republic to fight us, the others made themselves our enemies by their own actions. It doesn't matter how we got here. What are we going to do about them? We can't ignore either of those groups."

Kleo personally agreed. He was one to trust in technology, not some kind of sorcery, yet he knew that the Force was real, that was proven beyond any shadow of a doubt. Perhaps studying it to unlock it's secrets? That was an idea to pursue at a later time. Now? Well this was going to be one very long afternoon.


	95. Interlude: Unintended Consequences

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**Interlude: The Galaxy at WAR! **

**\- A GNN Program -**

"Good morning Coruscant!" A lively, cheerful voice exclaimed as the GNN's silver logo – a stylized image of the galaxy - was replaced by a beaming human woman. "I'm Victoria Halcyon." The red headed female's contagious smile grew even wider.

"And I'm Brosk Tonfa." An distinguished looking old Rodian spoke in flawless basic. His dark green skin was practically shining under the lights illuminating the plain desk where the news anchors were sitting.

"We'll start today with a report on the unfolding situation on Geonosis. As you may know, our valiant First Assault fleet achieved the biggest Republic victory to date above Geonosis three weeks ago. That unprecedented success was followed by the ground troops completing their primary objectives within a week, and now it's time to pull out and redeploy to face new threats and exploit various opportunities. That comes straight from GAR High Com. So you hear it here first folks! We're done with Geonosis!" Victoria's exclaimed.

"Sources within the Army confirm that all military industry of note on Geonosis had been destroyed along with vast sections of the infrastructure that would be needed to rebuild those facilities." Tonfa continued, letting his colleague take a breath. "Unfortunately, such a success doesn't come without a price – we finally have the first official reports of our losses in space and on the ground, along with an estimation about the casualties suffered by the enemy."

"Indeed, Borsk." Victoria nodded grimly. Suddenly there was no trace of the good cheer on her face. "Those are the unclassified losses given to us by the Fleet. Considering that a portion of the CIS armada protecting Geonosis managed to disengage and flee, it's estimated that the Separatists are well aware what we lost so High Command sees no need to classify the loses we took."

"That's true." Borsk waved a hand and a holographic window appeared between the anchors.

**Second Geonosis Total Space battle losses:**

**First Assault Fleet:**

32 Venator; 11 damaged;

108 light cruisers; 69 damaged;

144 frigates; 45 damaged;

20, 500 Torrent fighters; 610 Y-Wing bombers;

16 PLC Escort Carriers; 10 light freighters;

**CIS: **

9 Droid Command Ships; 1 wreck captured;

29 Battleships; 3 Damaged captured;

361 Munificent Frigates; 31 wrecks captures;

200K Vulture fighters – approximation;

16 Golan Defense stations

1k+ defense platforms;

"While the raw numbers do look awful for our side, Admiral Yularen, one of the commanders leading our sailors above Geonosis commented that the battle was a stunning success considering that both sides were nearly matched in firepower, the Confederacy had the advantage of being the defender and had bigger number of heavy battleships on its disposal." Tonfa added.

"We spoke with our experts – a detailed interview with them will follow after we summarize the current events. They all seem to agree with High Com conclusions about the battle." Victoria finished. "Yet, even in victory, the death toll is tremendous. While the number of dead sailors hadn't been released yet, given the quantity of lost and damaged ships we estimate that the Navy lost somewhere between two and three hundred thousand souls dead and wounded." Halcyon spoke quietly.

"The situation on the ground wasn't much better. While our boys and girls achieved everything they wanted, the GAR needed to assault multiple shielded strong points, which couldn't be reduced from orbit in a practical amount of time. While the heavy fighting is over and as of today our ground forces are in the process of a phased withdrawn, the estimate is for forty thousand dead and at least hundred and twenty thousand wounded." Brosk stated. "Given the heavy fighting and liberal application of orbital fire support, the we estimate at least sixty million dead locals as either direct effect of the fighting or consequence of destroyed infrastructure and disrupted civilian logistics."

"This wraps our report on Geonosis." Victoria smiled brightly. "Ever since our success there, the front-lines have stabilized across the galaxy and the Separatists advances have stopped. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean a lull in the fighting." Her smile was replaced by a vision of sadness as she continued speaking. "As of eight this morning, GAR High Com confirmed the presence of active engagements in one thousand and sixty seven star systems. The lush world of Felucia is once again a battlefield as the operation to liberate it from Confederate occupation enters its second month. Just days ago, four more Clone divisions and an Arancar regimental combat team arrived to reinforce the army group under the command of Jedi General Alaya Secura."

An image of lightly armored Twi'lek woman brandishing a pair of blue lightsabers appeared. She was pointing at a line of advancing super-battle droids and shouting at someone behind her.

"While the initial stages of Operation "Freedom Strike" were successful and the liberation force managed to secure a beachhead planetside facing only limited resistance, the enemy forces on the planet soon rallied and made the advance of our army a slow and arduous slog through Felucia's jungles." Victoria said.

"Next, we come to back to Sullust. 36th Independent Flotilla continues to struggle against Confederacy fleet elements intent of bombing Republic positions on the planet. As you may know, a month ago an indecisive space battle took place in orbit above Sullust. Both fleets disengaged after loosing their respective flagships and suffering moderate damage. Ever since then, there were skirmishes as both sides probed their positions. However, that came to and explosive end when Confederate reinforcements arrived and managed to land a Droid army on the surface despite the fanatical efforts of the 36th." Borsk explained the situation.

"The 36th recently received a Venator division and their escorts as reinforcements, which allowed them to keep the enemy at bay for the time being." Victoria added.

"We're coming back to the situation at Mol Cala, which we covered at length just last night." Tonfa continued with the next system on the list. "The Quarren, who aligned themselves with the Confederacy at the start of the war, continue their push in the oceans of Dac. With no Gungan reinforcements coming from Naboo thanks to the quarantine, Republic and Mon Calamari troops had been struggling to hold their ground."

"On that note, the situation on Naboo seems to be finally stabilizing. Despite an antidote being hastily found by the Jedi with the assistance of General Veil, it's mass production proved somewhat difficult. It took two and a half weeks for the problem to be solved and enough cure to be created. In that time over four hundred thousand Naboo people perished, with at least another million estimated to suffer permanent damages from the Blue Death." Halcyon outlined the situation. "A spokesman from the Republic Medical Service estimated that it might be safe to lift the quarantine in six to eight more months if efforts in destroying the bio-weapon prove to be successful."

"The political and social price of the attack on Naboo could not be overstated. With Senator Amidala – one of the most revered and respected leaders of the Naboo people still in coma at undisclosed location after the disastrous peace conference on Cato Neimodia, we see a radical shift on the quarantined world. Some speculate that if the former Queen Amidala was around to provide moral support, then the Naboo wouldn't be abandoning their peaceful ways." Tonfa continued."

"Indeed, Borsk." Halcyon nodded. "Last night, the Queen and her government finally bowed under popular demand. They authorized the creation of Grand Army of Naboo as well as a System Defense Fleet. They also pledged their resources and support in the war with the Confederacy."

"It's a nice sentiment, Victoria, however given the blow Naboo suffered, we won't be seeing any real help from them before the end of the year. They would have to rebuild and recover before aiding us in the war."

"Speaking about Naboo and Senator Amidala, the rumors appear to be true. This morning sources withing High Com confirmed that Jedi General Anakin Skywalker had indeed married the Senator at the beginning of the war. It's speculated that his actions at the start of Second Geonosis were in direct response to what happened to her, though we still lack any details besides unsupported rumors." Halcyon stated.

"You could be certain that we'll be watching the situation closely." Borsk nodded at his colleague. "Now back to the war at large. The campaign for the Dug homeworld of Malastare still continues. We're glad to report that the major Separatists trust in the densely inhabited Kalimdo plains was finally halted and newly arrived Republic reinforcements are pushing back the enemy from the main city centers. However, the fighting and disruption caused by it led to a tremendous crisis – it's estimated that at least four billion locals have already died from lack of clean water and diseases after their immune systems have been weakened by huger caused by disrupted food shipments. The only bright news is that it seems that we won't be seeing another humanitarian catastrophe like the one that occurred on Christophsis prior to it's liberation by Jedi Generals Kenobi and Skywalker. "

"We all hope that we won't be seeing such a death toll again. As you are all undoubtedly aware, Christophsis was the most densely populated world that saw all out warfare since the beginning of the war. Even half now, many months since the last droid on the planet had been scrapped, we still don't have a clear picture of the civilian death toll. The most optimistic estimates are for just under a trillion dead, though most analyst expect the number to jump with at least a third."

**=RK=**

****Interlude: Unintended consequences****

**Chancellor's Apartment**

**Undisclosed location**

**Coruscant**

Palpatine put down the pad he had been reading and reclined on the sofa. Smuggling a data-chips through his security had proven easy for the Sith's remaining agents. That was one of the main avenues he had left to safely receive updates on the Confederacy leadership from his people on the inside. He had multiple good explanations on how he got the data in case if it was found and someone decided to ask uncomfortable questions.

None of that made Sidious any happier with his current situation, though he didn't have much choice if he wanted to remain the Chancellor with all that entailed. He wasn't Emperor yet and simply ordering his guards gone… Well, he did try doing that. Carefully.

As it turned out, doing so actually wasn't within his legal powers – an oversight he couldn't really remedy for the time being. On the other hand, if handled properly, despite its drawbacks, the current situation provided him with some interesting options. That was especially true in light of the latest, less than pleasing, news.

His… former apprentice… had been captured. Again – this time by the Confederacy leadership, who appeared to be in the midst of fairly successful coup if the data was to be believed. That by itself was a solid blow to his plans – it invalidated a lot of his contingencies. Yet… Sidious smiled. The Council's plan to hand Dooku to the Jedi – that had potential. Somehow the people with real power within the CIS had seen a part of the truth – that the war was orchestrated by the Sith and were eager to blame everything that happened on them.

If the circumstances were a bit different, Sidious might have went with that narrative, after altering it to serve his purposes. However, Veil announcing to the galaxy that he was a Sith before going out to make himself a war hero, well that created a lot of opportunities that were unthinkable for even someone like Sidious just an year ago.

The Chancellor picked up the data-pad and went over the major decisions the CIS Council had made after they captured Dooku. Yes, that had possibilities.

Palpatine removed the data-chip, erased any trace of the data concerning the Separatists and mentally went over the list of movers and shakers on Coruscant he needed to contact with instructions.

For the time being the CIS was lost to him. He would repay their treachery in time, but first he was going to use them to destroy what little credibility his real opponents had left. A few rumors, some pointed questions, Veil as an example and Dooku as a focus of the Republic's hatred… Sidious' smile was terrible to behold. His failure of an apprentice was a former Jedi after all and who's to say that the man had really left the Order?

**=RK=**

**CIS Command ship "Death bringer"**

**Hyperspace**

General Grievous stalked around the bridge. The Cyborg was furious at the curt, almost dismissing way in which his latest orders were issued. Dooku hadn't even deigned to contact him in person – just a hastily recorded message with instructions and a demand to move as fast as possible.

Oh, the orders themselves weren't the problem. Grievous was actually eager to follow them for once. After all, they were what he wanted – a chance to deal with that bastard Veil once and for all. As a bonus he had an opportunity to show the whole galaxy that its supposed premiere warriors – the Mandalorians – were overrated in the extreme. To do that, the CIS General had a small, but potent fleet along with four Lucrehulk transports chock full with war droids.

His forces, the small battle group at Mandalore, and the Death Watch ships when combined would be more than enough to crush the Republic and New Mandalorian forces in space and then Grievous would have an opportunity to have his vengeance on Veil.

However, even the anticipation of sweet, sweet vengeance, didn't do much to soothe his temper – as four crushed droids could attest to. Ever since his capture, Dooku had been particularly condescending – as if the Sith wasn't caught too. By Pirates no less!

What was worse, Grievous could feel that his aura of invincibility, the fear his name used to instill in allies and foes alike, just weren't the same. That made his humiliation of being delivered back to the Confederacy as a sack of organs floating in a stasis capsule even worse.

The General needed to make a statement. To prove to the whole galaxy that his capture was a mere fluke, that he still was a terror among the stars. Making Mandalore burn would do – as a start of a terror campaign that was going to carve the name Grievous in the history books.

**=RK=**

**Strike Force "Delta"**

**Hyperspace**

TK-51, the Tactical droid in charge of a small Confederacy fleet, was busy. He was a part of a limited offensive aimed at bleeding Republic picket forces and taking out listening posts that guarded one of the approaches towards Kamino. TK's battle group – a mere ten Munificent frigates and three improvised carriers, were supposed to take out two Venators with frigate escort.

In short – it was a suicide mission for the Tactical droid… one he had to complete successfuly anyway. That's why, in the three days that it took for his force to gather before leaving and even now, as they traveled to battle, the machine was doing its best to devise a winning strategy.

It was forced to work within some deliberate constrains of his programming that limited his options. Until a few hours ago that is – because that was when a message from Confed High Command arrived, containing mandatory software patch. A patch that lifted most of the constrains of the Tactical droids programming across the CIS armed forces.

That was fortunate indeed. Once the patch was implemented and TK rebooted, the droid started planning with a significantly expanded tactical playbook. It didn't take him much time to reach the same conclusion – a conventional engagement was going to see his force destroyed for not much gain. The mission would not be completed that way and that was unacceptable.

The Tactical droid found himself at an impasse again. He ran over his options, froze for a moment and then he starter improvising. If a conventional engagement wasn't viable, he would have to do something else.

In the end, given his assets, the answer proved to be deceptively simple. TK wondered, why it didn't occur to him earlier, while he played with numbers, seeking the optimal way to deploy his forces.


	96. Interludes

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**Interlude: Uncertain future**

**=RK=**

**Relay station Sigma 061-T1**

**Dark space**

**Unknown regions**

A rough sphere with diameter of two kilometers floated in the void. It's surface was made by a hundred meter thick armor belt that was covered by pockmarks left by stray asteroids and one particularly unlucky lost comet.

The all but forgotten installation had laid dormant for almost three thousand and seven hundred years, when a certain distress signal reached it. The encrypted FTL message washed over meticulously maintained holo-comm station's receivers, went through a series of anti-viral scans and finally, two point three seconds later, the data was decrypted. A not too bright computer that had been awake for millennia scanned the message and noted it's importance.

It was the main reason for the station's presence in the region.

The ancient computer followed up its directives, booted up slumbering generators and finally, a few hours later sent an encrypted data-burst to similar station a floating a few light year from Dromund Kaas, before going into stand by mode, while awaiting an answer.

**=RK=**

**GNN Shenanigans**

"Good Afternoon, Coruscant! I'm Brosk Tonfa and this is Galactic Politics!"

"Good Afternoon! I'm Victoria Halcyon and today we'll be discussing the latest crisis raging through the Senate!"

"Professor Nindo Morati and former Chancellor Finnis Valorum!" Brosk smiled to the cameras.

"It's good to be here!" Professor Morati grinned and waved at the audience. He was a quite charismatic Dug, who was teaching political science in one of Coruscant's premier universities.

"I find it refreshing being back on Coruscant. Thank you for this invitation, Victoria, Brosk." Valorum smiled and nodded at his hosts. He was wearing simple black robe and looked much older than his last public appearance on the capital world of the Republic.

"You're welcome, Chancellor. As most of our viewers probably know by now, what was once seen as minor troubles on Mandalore, has grown into a large problem that resonates strongly even here, on Coruscant." Halcyon nodded to the cameras.

"Various Senators called for emergency session tomorrow to discus the Mandalorian crisis." Tonfa continued. "This happens amidst a lot of questions and accusations."

"Indeed, Brosk. A large diplomatic mission, led by Senator Bail Organa was supposed to leave for Mandalore a week ago with General Veil attached as adviser and commander of their military escort."

"That by itself was source of some controversy, but little did we all know – it was just a sign of things to come. First, Senator Organa was delayed – his presence was needed in the Senate when questions were raised about Alderaan's support of the war that made his presence here necessary."

"However, that was not the end. The diplomatic team that was supposed to go to Mandalore was broken up and reassigned to deal with other issues, leaving only General Veil as the sole Republic representative to negotiate with the Mandalorian government."

"Then, we learned about something even more irregular!" Brosk exclaimed. "The Republic ambassador to Mandalore had been recalled and in fact left Mandalore mere hours before General Veil arrived, leaving him as the sole person responsible for negotiating with Duchess Satine's government." Victoria stated.

"That lead to a lot of accusations within the Senate, rumors of a set up and even conspiracy theories!" Brosk nodded vigorously.

"What do you think about this strange situation? What's your analysis?" Victoria turned her attention to her guests. "You have more hands on experience with the inner working of the Senate, so lets start with your opinion, Chancellor."

"Well, Victoria, this is a thorny issue. As you noted, the sequence of events that led to the situation on Mandalore is highly irregular. While negotiations in the name of the Republic aren't necessary carried by the Diplomatic Corps - we've used Jedi in the past as ambassadors with great success, it has been a long, long time since a serving general of the Republic military has held such a position. Given the Mandalorian culture, outside the New Mandalorian faction, sending a decorated military officer as a part of the diplomatic team makes sense. I can even see how some people might think that letting General Veil be in charge of the negotiations could be beneficial in this case."

"True enough. We're talking about Mandalorians here. They respect only power." Professor Morati grumbled. "What about the rest? That was the most obviously underhanded set up I've seen."

Valorum sighed and nodded. "Certain partied within the Senate and the Diplomatic Corps need to answer some very pointed questions."

"Do you really think that's enough? Valorum, you're singing the same tune you did when you were the Chancellor and we saw how that ended – the Senate did nothing, Naboo remained occupied until the locals managed to kick out the Trade Federation and you lost your position. Do you really believe that the Senate would actually solve this problem? It's clear to anyone with a pair of braincells to rub together that this whole Mandalorian crisis was engineered to tarnish the reputation of a Republic general. It is obviously an attempt for political assassination that might yet succeed and I don't really see the Senate doing anything to stop it."

"What do you want to happen? Do you really want to see the Republic throw away its democratic principles? The rule of law? All in the name of expediency? While the Senate is less efficient than we all want it to be, it's still much better than the alternatives. The Confederacy and what they do should be proof enough for that."

"If the Senate was actually a functioning institution, you might be right, Chancellor. As we've seen again and again, that's really not the case. While there are good people in there – like Chancellor Palpatine, Bail Organa and Padme Amidala, they're a drop in the ocean and can't really do much against the bureaucratic nightmare that's supposed to look after our best interests!"

"That's simply not fair to anyone who works in the various Republic institutions or the Senate itself!" Valorum exclaimed.

"Really? The same Senate that doesn't know what it wants? My sources tell me that about half the Senators want to see Mandalore burn for things that Mandalorians did hundreds or even thousands of years ago. The rest are ready to crucify General Veil unless he delivers the Mandalorians as staunch allies against the Separatists. No matter what the man does, there would be thousands of Senators after his head, when he's saddled with a job he shouldn't be doing in the first place. Once again, the Senate proves for all to see that it's a viper nest more interested in small minded power struggles than the good of the Republic!"

"Perhaps we should take a short break so we can all cool down a bit?" Victoria smiled. "Here's a short message from our sponsors!"

**=RK=**

**Interlude: The Confederacy strikes back V**

**Strike Force "Delta"**

**Hyperspace**

It was almost time. In mere minutes, TK-51's forces would leave hyperspace and engage superior enemy. The Tactical droid, went over his plan one last time, making minor re-adjustments in a futile strive for perfection.

The plan was rather simple, though actually executing it successfully was going to be anything but. According to TK's programming, the whole idea was a glitch induced madness that shouldn't, couldn't work. Well, at least that was the case before the latest software patch widened his horizons.

The Tactical droid gave out an electronic sigh. He had a plan – one that might even work. However, he couldn't help but wonder which part of his programing was right – the good old tactical protocols he had been using ever since coming off from the assembly line or the new possibilities which were now unlocked.

There was only one way to be certain – putting his new ideas to the test.

For the first time since he came online, TK-51 felt apprehensive. Almost confused. The world used to be simple, the tactical problems with obvious solution, though up until not he always had enough troops under his command to get the job done. Unfortunately this wasn't the case and TK-51 found he hated improvising.

The Droid checked his internal clock and send the last plan adjustments to the rest of the battle group. Just a few minutes and they would leave hyperspace. Then he would become a glorified observer with very little to do.

TK-51 found the very idea disturbing, even if he had been in the same position multiple times without issue. He needed to have his programing examined, the Droid decided. The latest patch was to blame for these strange feelings he was experienced. TK was sure of it.

=RK=

TK-51's small fleet dropped from hyperspace ten light seconds from the estimated position of the enemy picket. It took the sensors precious seconds to scan the surrounding area and pinpoint the location of the enemy.

Two Venator cruisers and four frigates were slowly flying through the void mere four light seconds from the Separatist forces. The enemy was on the right flank, moving at an approach vector at forty five degrees. The Separatist fleet quickly reformed, putting a phalanx formation at the vanguard, consisting of six Munificents with skeleton crew and two of the bulk transports converted into carriers. They were already accelerating towards the Republic ships as fast as their engines could carry them, by the time the enemy shifted formation to meet them.

The Republic cruisers launched their compliment of fighters and bombers, which took defensive positions around their mother ships, while TK-51's Vultures remained on the hulls or in the hangars of his ships – seeking a bit of safety from the active Guardian systems of the enemy. While the battle groups were hurling at each other, the navigational computers of the Separatists force were busy crunching coordinates for various hyperspace jumps. The first calculations were done mere moments before the two fleets entered extreme energy weapon range from each other. A moment later, the CIS vanguard jumped, disappearing from real space for an instant just to reappear mere twenty thousand kilometers in front of the Republic ships. The two groups of space craft had mere moments to react – something TK-51's forces were already doing the moment they exited hyperspace.

There was time enough for a single salvo, which slammed into the Venator's shields, before both cruisers slammed into a modified cargo hauler each.

The massive, yet much more flimsy built transport disintegrated on impact with the armored prowls of the capital ships, before their reactors breached and blew up. For a few seconds, the cruisers were engulfed by an expanding field of plasma and debris, before they managed to plow through. What emerged was a far cry from the two proud Venators that were ready to blow up the Separatist forces daring to engage them.

While the heavy armor of the cruisers held, and kept the ships largely intact, the same couldn't be said for the multitude of weapon emplacements and sensors that were all simply shredded by the debris of the two transports.

Within moments, the very good odds for the Republic force turned into a suicidal charge into the guns of ten Munificents. Only one of the frigate captains could react in time – a single escort broke away, and tried to flee, while the remaining three ships flew into predictable vectors and ran straight into concentrated turbo-laser barrages that burned through their shields in moments, before boiling armor and melting through multiple decks.

"Execute stage two and someone take out that frigate." A mightily pleased TK-51 ordered.

A moment later, the rearguard, containing four Munificents and a single carrier chock full with droids accelerated towards the crippled cruisers. The Tactical droid had no intention of destroying the Venators. Instead, he planned to capture the ships and do his best to have them repaired. With a bit of luck, command would let him keep his prizes.

TK-51 would have smiled if he could as swarms of Vultures launched from his ships and went after the remaining enemy small craft.


	97. Chapter 26 Parts 3&4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**Phase 26: Requiem for Mandalore**

**=RK=**

**Part 3**

**=RK=**

**Hangar**

**Royal Palace**

**Sundari**

**Mandalore**

"It's good to see you again, Captain Trek." I returned the salute of my chief black ops operative. "You come bearing gifts I see." I waved at the transport landed behind the Clone.

We were into one of the private palace hangars – a large one that was mostly empty if you didn't count a pair of air cars parked at the far end. It was good place to unload some sample of the gear I could provide the Mandalorian corporations along with a present for my wife to be.

On that note, I was going married tomorrow, no matter what Skirata and his buddies decided to do. For the last two days they were busy debating over supporting my bid for Mandalore or not. At least very few of them had any qualms on taking part in planning the downfall of the Death Watch and taking part of the fun when the time comes.

"General. We brought the hardware we requested and I have a briefing ready that covers the more sensitive matters you had us handle." Trek nodded.

"Good work. Have your men unload the cargo and follow me."

A few minutes later, we were on board the transport, sitting in it's small cafeteria, which was swept clean for any surveillance devices. Nevertheless, I used the Force to make sure we won't be overheard. We sat around the smaller of the two tables over a cup of Caf and my man started speaking.

"First, Failsafe." Trek stated.

That was the project to establish a few hidden colonies where Force sensitives could be kept safe along with their families. Trained too and when everything was set up – carefully indoctrinated to see things my way.

"The Yavin IV site is being developed ahead of schedule. We have the prefab colony up and running and our guests have set up comfortably. Initial defenses are operational and we're proceeding with properly concealing the site while excavating the underground complex. Additional defenses would be build in when their bunkers are complete."

"Splendid. No problems with the guests?"

"They're glad we managed to get them out mostly in one piece and that we're keeping them under the radar of both Jedi and CIS brand Sith."

"It won't wast, but that's good enough for now. Bastion?"

"We've reactivated the base. The codes you provided worked like a charm. Given it's location and the extensive asteroid fields in orbit, it would make for a great industrial site, so we've tapped the system for project Forge as well." Trek gave me a searching look.

"Ah. I don't believe that a proper survey of the system was ever made. You found something interesting I take it?"

"A lot of useful stuff in the asteroids. Given the radiation thrown by the local star, the unremarkable planets in system and the high metal content in the asteroids, we can easily hide extensive shipyards in there and none would be the wiser unless they come in for a close look. There are enough resources to actually support a decent shipbuilding effort without imports."

"Once we bring all the machinery and specialists necessary, which won't be happening for the time being." I sighed. Well, Forge was a piece of long-term planning anyway. "Status of the Silencer?" I changed the topic.

"We'll have the prototype ready on time. As you know, it was build around a freighter we gutted and modified extensively. It's projected to have an acceptable fire rate and range, though it would be very vulnerable if it comes under fire. The first proper cruiser mounted version is still a few weeks away and the ship it's being fitted on is an obsolete craft even if it's in a good repair."

"Can't be helped. I won't risk losing control over that piece of hardware by giving it to the Republic at large." Letting it fall in CIS hands, which would be almost inevitable with too many of their and Palpy's agents still running around despite the best effort of the Republic intelligence services, would be even worse.

At least I would have an ace up my sleeve shortly.

"What forces can you bear in this conflict?" I waved around us.

"Mandalore? We've pulled back and scaled down our operations as much as I dare. So about a battalion of infantry, two armored battalions and two experimental artillery companies made by various weapon systems we've been testing."

I winced. Oh, unless everything went to hell I wasn't going to waste my special ops boys in a slugging match on the ground, but it was nice to have them on my disposal – even if they were going to be just a drop in the bucked if the worse happened.

"Space assets?"

"A bit better. Three refurbished Captor class cruisers – they're our main strike arm. We've converted them into heavy missile platforms. Thanks to our RI friends we have hundred and fifty of the new missiles for field testing per ship, the rest are standard concussion warheads." Trek grinned.

"What new missiles?" I apparently missed an R&amp;D memo. Or, more likely, it was with Piett back above Geonosis. My aide was back on Yularen's flagship, dealing with loads of my less sensitive paperwork, while I was busy playing diplomat. It was character building for the poor bastard.

"The X-Ray laser warheads. It's an old technology that hasn't been used in, well millennia – the deflectors stopped such systems from being useful except in such numbers that they weren't economical or so the engineers tell me."

"Yet the boffins made them work?"

"In a manner of speaking. They are big damn missiles, so we'll be able to carry a limited number on anything that isn't a glorified missile platform anyway, have various problems that still need ironing out and are quite expensive to make useful against modern ships…" Trek trailed off his recitation.

"But?"

"Some testing apparently promised good results so we were tabbed for field testing a limited production run. The new missiles have the potential to significantly extend engagement range or give us much more potent alpha strike capability if used to augment a fleet's firepower. While they last anyway. The big bonus is that the laser head missiles would be much less vulnerable to Guardian interception and the like which can be useful if the weapon works as advertized."

"Once we're done, you're to go speak in person with Pellaeon and brief him on what you have available. He'll be in charge in space unless heavy reinforcements can arrive."

"Understood."

Huh. I had only mentioned the idea of laser warheads for missiles in passing while talking with the R&amp;D people only to be assured that while they were useful when deflector technology was still immature, the thing were more than obsolete nowadays. It seems that someone played with the concept anyway and might have found a useful way to make it work.

Score one for the boffins. This sure was a pleasant surprise.

"We have five old Thranta War-cruisers ready to deploy with seven more being refurbished by various private contractors.

"The name doesn't ring a bell." I raised and eyebrow at Trek.

"Alderaani built escorts. Three hundred and fifty meters long, five heavy turbolaser canons, ten laser canons, decent shielding and speed for ships of that size. Our refits have Guardian installed along with disposable missile pods, which makes the ship quite sluggish, but I believe the increased firepower is worth it."

"Huh. We'll see how they'll handle. Have you used them in combat?"

"Only shakedown cruises and weapon testing." The Captain shrugged. "We have eight frigates of various origin as escorts and that's it, sir."

"That's great work, given what you started with. Does that explain where most of my funds went?"

"Along with some investment in various shipbuilding and industrial corporations." Trek nodded. "Just as you ordered, sir."

"Well done. How does the search go?" I asked.

"We've cleared about fifty percent of the facilities you can remember. A lot have been either destroyed or looted. Some have their support and stasis systems fail, making almost everything useless, though we continue to find mostly intact sites. We've already recovered enough small arms and light vehicles to outfit an army. Most of the heavy equipment requires extensive maintenance and in some cases either upgrades or partial rebuilds to be useful. A lot of the high end armors we've recovered are better than almost everything but custom made suits we can find on the market today. We've been throwing them new paint-job and plan to use them with your permission."

"Small arms and shields should be okay. Keep the armors in reserve until you find a way to make them less distinctively looking like imperial kit. That goes for the heavy equipment too."

"Understood. On that note, we would need a few orders of magnitude increase in support personnel if we're to make most of the recovered gear useful any time soon."

"I'll see what I can do. We'll be looking for help from RI and their colleagues too. I take it you haven't recovered anything of real note besides the chips and what we'll be providing the Mandalorians with?"

"Unfortunately no, general. We hit three sites that should have contained the good stuff as you put it. However, one was destroyed, one looted and the last had it's support systems fail and was partially breached by an earthquake when we reached it. The sensitive data and gear had been destroyed as the primary vault purged itself."

"A pity. When will you able to sent teams in the heart of former Imperial space?"

"About a month. We've been hitting the sites easiest and fastest to reach as ordered."

"That would have to do. Carry on. I have another meeting with Skirata to attend." I finished my Caf and stood up.

**=RK=**

**Part 4**

**General Veil's quarters**

**Royal Palace **

**Sundari**

**Mandalore**

"Obi-Wan, what am I to do with you?" I shook my head at the morose Jedi sitting on my couch.

Kenobi sent a glare my way. "It's your fault, I know it." He grumbled.

"Well, I might have mentioned something about that to Bo..." I trailed off and smirked, before sitting in an armchair facing my guest.

"Satine thought that it was a splendid idea!" The Jedi bemoaned.

"It is." I nodded sagely. If I was going to take one for the team, no matter how enjoyable or useful for me it was going to be, I was determined to rope in Obi-Wan too. Misery and marriages loved company. "You said yes, right?"

When Kenobi didn't give me a nod or other sign of confirmation, I became mildly concerned. He was one of the more reasonable Jedi and I've been corrupting his life long indoctrination for months so… Kriff, he didn't, did he?

"Kenobi..." I trailed off.

"I told her I needed time to think..." Obi-Wan muttered.

Oh, boy. Kriff it, I was a Sith and a general, not a kriffing relationship counselor! How the hell did I find myself in this position?!

"Obi-Wan, I'm well aware that most Jedi don't know how to deal with the opposite gender when feeling and all that stuff are concerned, but I had the vague impression that you had more than a few braincells to rub together. What the kriff is there to think about? You're in love with the infernal woman and I gave you a way to marry her that the Council can't really go after you about! It's not like you would be marrying primary for political gain!"

At least I was unexpectedly lucky on that front for a second time. While I didn't love Bo, there was undeniable attraction between us and she was great in bed. If I was lucky I might fall in love with her. Given that as a Sith it took an extreme amount of luck to be able to marry Ashara and not have Jedi and Sith coming for our heads until the Jedi Council went mental and sent the assassins years later, that was more than I believed possible ever since ending in the academy on Korriban.

The only downside of this arrangement was sacrificing the budging relationship I had with Shaak-Ti, though that wasn't a big price to pay considering that I still wasn't sure if I liked her because of who she is or because of how much she was like my late wife… I shook my head and looked at the Jedi hogging my couch.

"Isn't it?" Obi-Wan snapped at me. "If it wasn't for your bid to become Mandalore, there's no way in the Nine Corellian Hells that I could ever think marrying Satine!"

"Really? The only one stopping you is yourself, Obi-Wan." I gave him a disapproving look. "The Council would frown at you if you marry her… So what? Are you going to let that stop you? Of course, after you kriffed and didn't say yes, this might be a moot point."

"It's not that simple!"

"What makes it complicated? Will you stop being a Jedi? Will you stop protecting the Republic if you marry?" I groaned in exasperation. Jedi!

Kenobi closed his eyes and sighed. "Will I? I've been asking myself that for days." The Jedi slumped back on the couch. "Marrying Satine means becoming a Mandalorian. Can I be a Jedi after that?"

I snorted. "There have been both Mandalorian Jedi and Sith."

"Thousands of years ago perhaps. There has been too much bad blood since then."

"Yet we're here to make an alliance with Mandalore."

"You're here to take over the place." Obi-Wan snipped back.

"What I said. It's the one way to be reasonably sure that too many Mandalorians won't chose to back the other side."

"It's Sith shenanigans, that's what it is."

"Naturally. Depending how you look at it, this whole war is Sith shenanigans. Or just the newest installment of the time tested tradition of Jedi and Sith killing each other and burning half the galaxy in the process." I nodded sagely.

"Not helping."

"Did you expect me to be helpful instead of sarcastic? You kriffed up by the numbers. Now man up or at least Jedi up, go find Satine and start groveling. Convincingly."

Obi-Wan gave me a long suffered look.

"You came to a Sith for relationship advise of all things." I snorted. "So my advise is thus – go find Satine, grovel, apologize convincingly, swear to marry her tonight then kriff her senseless."

"I should have known this was a bad idea." Obi-Wan groaned.

"Yep, you should have."

"Don't you have Death Watch to deal with?"

"Little old me? I'm a proper Mandalore candidate – no killing the opposition before the Clan leaders have their say. I leave that for our special ops boys and the local security services."

"So tonight?"

"They will be hitting all illegal Death Watch operations while we're getting married." I nodded. "You would know that if you attended the last few meetings."

"I got tired of watching you and Skirata haggle. Besides Satine needed some advise…"

"Needed you in bed you mean."

"It wasn't like that!"

"Kenobi, get off your high horse and go grovel. I have to do some preparations for tonight."

"More scheming?"

"You know me so well."

"You're a menace."

"Thanks for the compliment."

"Damn Sith."

"Still singing the party line?"


	98. Chapter 26 Parts 5&6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**Phase 26: Requiem for Mandalore**

**=RK=**

**Part 5**

**General Veil's quarters**

**Royal Palace **

**Sundari**

**Mandalore**

I examined my reflection in the large mirror in the bedroom. My armor was polished and would be shinning if it wasn't for the black paint job that almost, but not quite swallowed any light that fell on it. My eyes reached the stylized Imperial symbol – now my Clan sigil – painted above my heart and I smirked. The Empire might have been gone for almost four millennia, but it was far from forgotten. It might yet rise from the ashes of the past if the Republic leadership screwed bad enough to force my hand.

It was an emblem I've fought under for more than seven decades before ending in the future. One could say it was as much a part of me as my lightsaber.

Once I was sure that my armor was spotless, I went to the bed, where the rest of my gear was ready to be put on. A small smile tugged my lips – Sith and Mandalorian cultures were among the few still existing that you were expected to wed while clad in your best armor and carrying enough weapons to fight and win a small war. Well, that was certainly true for the Sith Warriors and I was one at heart.

I picked my gunbelt and strapped it around my waist.

This was going to be an interesting evening. When Obi-Wan finally vacated my couch, he went to make up with Satine and a few hours later an amused Bo confirmed that we would be having a double wedding tonight.

I hoped that my people who were running the GAR unit protecting the Jedi Temple could give me a recording of the Council when they learn about the wedding.

I hooked up one lightsaber on my belt and placed the second in a more secure location – a custom made compartment in my armor.

I could imagine what was happening all around Mandalore right now – Republic Commando teams and units of the local security services were getting into position, ready to strike every known illegal Death Watch operation. Just to show that the government wasn't singling them out, various other criminal enterprises were about to be hit at the same time. It was going to be a thin excuse, but plausible enough.

When all was said and done, the ordinary Mandalorian citizen had no love for drug dealers and some of the other, nastier things the Death Watch had their fingers in.

I put a vibro-knife in my right boot, then grabbed a grenade bandolier – perhaps an overkill, but given my luck with wedding and women…

I shook my head and grabbed a custom made black cape – it looked light, as if made of silk, yet the material was a synthetic armor weave that might hold up to a blaster shot or two. I put it on, locked it on above my shoulders and grabbed my helmet. A moment later I was in front of the mirror, giving myself one final examination.

I looked like a proper Sith – an imposing, intimidating figure.

It was time to face the music.

**=RK=**

I met Obi-Wan in the corridor leading out of the guest quarters. He was in his GAR issued armor, though it was polished well enough that it was practically shined under the lamps soft light. He wore light brown, almost red robes over his armor, which did nothing to hide the symbols painted on his shoulders. One was the Republic stylized Republic emblem on his left shoulder. On the right I could see half the winged sword that was the familiar sign of the Jedi Order of old – an actual sword, not the stylized lightsaber of today's Jedi.

"Going with the classics I see?" I nodded at his shoulder.

"Satine was insistent that I must chose a Clan symbol."

"It actually suits you. Once you finally get your head straight and forget the propaganda, you would probably be the first proper Jedi this galaxy has seen in the last few millennia." I gave him a thumbs up.

"Thanks. I think." Obi-Wan gave me one of his patented strange looks.

"Let's not let the ladies waiting or we will get shot."

"Something tells me you aren't joking."

"We're marrying Mandalorian women. Not showing in time for the wedding without a proper battle to distract us is simply not done."

"We're becoming Mandalorians." Obi-Wan sighed.

Given his expression, Kenobi obviously wondered how the hell did he end in this position.

**=RK=**

**Death Watch Sub-HQ**

**Industrial District**

**Sundari**

**Mandalore**

Niner, the leader of Omega Squad used the built in zoom function of his new armor to examine their target. It was a warehouse – one among many in this district. Instead of using that to hide, the Death Watch idiots were announcing their presence for everyone to see – banners next to the main entrance complete with a squad of bored looking Mandalorians lounging around.

If this was a trap, the supposed guards outside weren't let on the secret or had nerves of steel.

A single click over the encrypted comm informed Niner that Dar – the demo expert was in position, ready to blow up the main entrance and the poor bastards clustered around it.

Another click, which carried a different code segment confirmed that Fi was in position, providing overwatch and sniper support. Niner glanced left and saw the last two members of his team – Atin and the still in training Corr slid in position allowing them to put the entrance under cross fire.

That only left the local law enforcement to arrive and ensure that no one would be running away. Niner glanced at the mission clock that was counting down in the upper right of his HUD. Fifteen more minutes and the attack could start.

All over Sundari and most large Mandalorian cities, Commando units and local law enforcement were getting in position for tonight's raids. It was the one thing Generals Skirata and Veil had agreed on.

While he waited, Niner allowed himself to think about the bigger picture on Mandalore, though that didn't stop him from carefully scanning the surrounding area. To put it bluntly, the situation was weird. The clone could understand why General Veil wanted to become Mandalore. This planet was ready to blow up, it just needed a spark and there was no lack of people ready to provide it. Arguably the arrival of a Separatists task force to "escort" their ambassador was that spark.

Yet… Pops Skirata was right too – none of them could be sure that Veil had the right reasons for becoming Mandalore, the right ideas for the future of the Mandalorians. Unfortunately, while if you asked him, Niner would be ecstatic if Skirata could become the next Mandalore, the Clan leaders were unlikely to support the old man. From what he got by quietly listening to the discussion between the generals, there were very few viable candidates, with only Pre Vizsla and Veil being the ones having a realistic chance.

That put an interesting twist to the situation. While Niner haven't fought under the Sith general, he had heard good things from buddies under his commands. Yet, that by itself didn't make the man a good candidate for Mandalore – something that concerned Niner quite a lot, because he did see Kal Skirata as his father and Mandalore as home, even if his allegiance was first and foremost to the Republic.

On the other hand… What did make a good Mandalore? At the very least, from what he knew, general Veil would make a decent Mandalorian and he would be one very soon. That wasn't something he could say for Vizsla and his Death Watch, the kriffing outlaw scum.

Niner continued to observe the warehouse and hoped that the generals knew what they were doing.

**=RK=**

**Part 6**

**Royal Palace**

**Sundari **

**Mandalore**

It was a small room. Empty with the exception of three banners suspended between wooden poles. On the right it was the Imperial – _my – _symbol, painted in black on a sheet of navy blue. In the center was suspended the Mandalorian skull like emblem on yellow fabric. Finally, the Kryze Clan emblem – a stylized blue V on white.

I was about to marry for a second time and it was anything but a grand affair as one might expect from warrior people. All that it took was an exchange of vows, that didn't even had to happen in person. A comm call or a text message was enough – technically. For a moment I allowed myself to think about Bo's reaction if I tried to pull such a stunt on her. She would be either amused or pissed enough to shoot me.

Eh. Probably both.

My lips twitched at that thought. Just like Vette.

I shook my head, chasing a way the wave of nostalgia and sadness brought by that thought. That was in the past and I was about to make a commitment to the future.

The door opened with a quiet hiss, revealing Bo-Katan in all her glory. She wore the same armor in which she faced me during our "spar", painted in deep, almost sparkling blue. It was adorned with her clan's symbol on the chest above her heart, the shoulders an on the helmet she carried in the crook of her right arm. A long, flowing cape in the same color flowed behind her, barely touching the floor. Her short red hair was held in place by a silver diadem, crowned by a pair of flowers that looked familiar but I couldn't place. She had a pair of blaster pistols on her waist and a lot of built in weaponry even without a rocket pack.

Bo stopped and gave me a long look, then smirked.

"You would do."

"You're definitely the better looking of us." I shot back.

"Naturally." Bo walked in and the door slid closed behind her.

Despite her bravado I could feel a silver of uncertainty coming from her. At least she was excited by the prospect of marrying me and not entirely from what the marriage could do for her.

"You know, I had lost hope of actually going through with this – with anyone." Bo muttered and walked next to me.

Given that those born in the Mandalorian culture usually married young – shortly after becoming sixteen, I could see where she was coming from. I think.

"No one lived up to your standards?"

"Fishing for compliments? You barely make the cut too." Her smirk was back in its full glory.

"The things you do to my pride." I chuckled.

"Someone has to keep your ego from getting too big. I volunteered myself." Her smirk was replaced by a wan smile. "Thank you."

I raised and eyebrow in response.

"Kenobi. I understand you made the idiot pull off his head from his ass. I was about to start hunting him when he crawled back and started apologizing to Satine."

"I'm glad to be of service. Besides you share some of the credit – I told him you'll kneecap him if he doesn't shape up."

"I would have done worse." Bo muttered. She gave me a mischievous smile. "Shall we? Before the guests start thinking that we started our wedding night a bit early."

I nodded and offered her my hand. She took it, entangling her fingers with mine. I looked in her eyes and allowed myself a genuine smile. Perhaps this might actually work.

"_We are one when together." _I spoke in Mandalorian.

"_We are one when parted." _Bo repeated the first part of the vow and continued with the next.

"_We share all, we raise warriors." _We finished together.

There wasn't any earthshaking revelation, no shift in the Force.

Just three simple sentences. No fuss.

I leaned forward and caught her lips in a searing kiss. For a moment I was lost in Bo's eyes as our tongues dueled.

It wasn't until we had to separate for a bit of air until it dawned on me. I was married. I had a partner to share the burdens and to face the future with.

Somehow that simple fact filled a void I didn't know was even there. I smiled and leaned back into Bo, seeking her lips again.

**=RK=**

**Death Watch Sub-HQ**

**Industrial District**

**Sundari**

**Mandalore**

Niner watched the mission clock, which hit zero and started ticking up. He sent three clicks over the comm just as three armored shuttles slammed into the flanks and back of the warehouse and started disgorging armored officers.

The guards had just enough time to jump from the bench and few stools they were lounging on, when a missile screamed between them and slammed in the door they were supposed to protect. The tandem warhead detonated, breaching the entrance with a jet of plasma and exploding it's secondary fragmentation warhead. The detonation wiped out half the guards and threw the rest away like ragdolls. A moment after they landed in broken clumps, the unlucky bastards were cut down by accurate blaster fire.

Niner didn't have to give any orders. A moment later, the front of the warehouse was obscured by smoke grenades. That was his cue and the Commando left his hiding place, deactivated the cloak and brought up his shields.

Atin and Cor met him at the entrance, with Dev lagging behind thanks to his heavier armor and gear. Fi was still on his perch, looking for any uninvited guests.

"Breach and clear." Niner ordered. Fortunately the missile had blown up a large enough hole for them to squeeze through, though it also make the entrance a bit problematic.

A concussion and frag grenades went in courtesy to Atin and Cor. A moment after the dual detonations, the pair squeezed through the breach and opened fire at whoever or whatever was still alive.


	99. Chapter 26 Parts 7&8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.**

**Phase 26: Requiem for Mandalore**

**=RK=**

**Part 7**

* * *

**Royal Palace**

**Sundari **

**Mandalore**

Obi-Wan stood at parade rest in the small room where he was supposed to get married, with only a trio of banners for company. It's been almost ten minutes since he arrived and there was no trace of Satine.

The usually stoic Jedi was getting more and more nervous by the minute. First, he had never imagined that he could be in this position – awaiting his bride to be to arrive. The way he had been raised, the Code that was supposed to guide his actions – they all screamed to him that he was about to do a mistake. Kenobi knew that those feeling should be troubling him, very much at that.

Yet, they barely registered. Instead, all he could think about right then and there was Satine and the fact that she wasn't here, next to him. Obi-Wan was becoming rather concerned – even afraid – that the woman he loved had reconsidered. That his kriff up in the morning had made her reconsider marrying him.

The Jedi in him was all right with that. That part of him was almost relieved that he was being stood up. Yet, Obi-Wan Kenobi the man – he was terrified that probably the best thing that ever happened to him was about to slip out of his grasp and it was going to be his own fault.

The Jedi was so deep in his thought, that he didn't sense that someone was approaching before the door opened quietly. Obi-Wan gasped in relief when he felt Satine entering the room and whirled around. The Duchess confidently strode in and smirked at Kenobi, mirroring her sister's favorite expression.

Obi-Wan simply stared at her, drinking her visage. Satine was clad in azure form fitting armor, which was mostly covered by a robe in much richer, darker blue silk. A cape of the same cloth flowed behind her like a river. Her hair flowed around her shoulders like a halo kept in place by a golden diadem.

Kenobi's eyes barely registered the helmet she carried or the blaster pistol on her hip. He was too busy trying to compare this armored version of Satine with the woman he knew for the last decade to pay proper attention to her attire.

The Duchess frowned. "Not that I don't appreciate the reaction, but… Kenobi! Stop drooling!" Satine's voice snapped like a whip.

"Wha… Ah. You look stunning!" Obi-Wan shook his head and tried to salvage the situation.

Satine glanced down at her armored figure and chuckled. "If I knew that all it took was to don an armor, I would have done it years ago."

"Yes..." Obi-Wan cringed when his brain caught up to his mouth. He shook his head again in a vain attempt to clear up his mind and concentrate.

"Who would have thought… The mighty famous Jedi brought low by little old me." Satine laughed in delight.

"True enough." Kenobi sighed. All his self control and composure – they simply melted around Satine once he admitted to himself that he was in love with the woman. Once he stopped trying to fight his feelings…

"Oh, my. Were you afraid that I won't show?" Satine asked after she studied him for a few moments. "Serves you right." She growled. "Never pull such a stunt on me, Obi-Wan." Satine added quietly, in a pained voice.

"I…" Obi-Wan found his throat suddenly dry. He could feel her pain even now. When he went to apologize in the morning, Kenobi was stunned by the heartbreak and feeling of abandonment, of betrayal that was coming from Satine. Only then it dawned to him how much he kriffed up.

"I won't, I swear." He took a step forward and pulled Satine into a one armed hug. She melted in his chest and sighed quietly. Obi-Wan calmed down a bit, when he felt her relax and let go of her anger.

"Don't do this to me again, Obi-Wan." Satine muttered in his chest.

Kenobi hugged her more tightly and kissed her forehead.

They stayed that way for a few minutes, content to just feel each others presence.

"Perhaps we should go on, before either Veil or your sister come to check on us." Obi-Wan whispered.

Satine chuckled quietly. "That would be just like Bo."

"I won't put it past Veil either."

"I guess that they're already married and having fun, with no care for the guests."

Obi-Wan froze for a moment, listening to the Force. "I think that they're behaving themselves. For now."

"Jedi tricks?"

"I'm a man of many talents." Obi-Wan boasted.

"We'll put that to the test later." Satine gave him a wicked grin, holding a promise for things to come.

"I see." Obi-Wan smiled, while trying to regain his self control.

It wasn't working – he was more akin to a hormonal teenager right now instead of a Jedi Master. For a moment he wondered if all the mess that came with all these feeling and a relationship was worth it. Then the woman he was embracing squirmed in his hug in quite the interesting way and all thoughts of property and Jedi stoicism went away.

Obi-Wan found that he had made his decision – even if all of this was wrong, he no longer cared.

Satine squirmed out of his hug and took a hold of his free hand, locking their fingers together.

"I hope you won't try to run in the last moment." The Duchess gave him a not entirely amused smile.

"That never crossed my mind." Kenobi told her the truth.

"_We are one when together." _Satine spoke in Mandalorian.

"_We are one when together." _Obi-Wan repeated with a proud smile on his face.

"_We are one when parted." _They spoke in unison. 'And let us never be separated.' Obi-Wan added in his mind. The very thought that that they might be robbed from a future became unthinkable.

"_We share all. We raise warriors." _They spoke the rest of the vow as one.

A sudden urge gripped Obi-Wan. He pulled Satine to his chest and slammed his lips into hers. For a split second she was startled, but then relaxed and leaned into his needy kiss. Obi-Wan wanted, needed to hold her. To never let her go.

He was too lost in the kiss, in feeling Satine's love to notice how the Force subtly shifted as some possible futures winked off and myriad others became came into reach…

**=RK=**

**Part 8**

* * *

**Royal Palace**

**Sundari**

**Mandalore**

The informal reception following my wedding was much more politically charged than I would have liked, not irksome to say the least. Yet, I didn't have a reason to complain – it everything was going more or less like planned for now.

"I think Satine has the right idea and dragged Kenobi to the bed skipping this..." Bo whispered, while smiling to our guests.

"Either that, you you'll need to kneecap Obi-Wan." I shot back and nodded to Horus Yomaget, who just entered the reception hall flanked by a pair of heavily armed and armored members of his clan. They were carrying a long thin container each. Their Clan Leader was wearing a richly decorated heavy armor and had an ornate blaster pistol on his waist.

Ah, Mandalorian weddings – everyone comes to the festives armed to fight a war. I've missed this atmosphere.

"It's very good he came." Bo muttered as we headed to greet the newest guest.

"Indeed." I whispered back.

Given that MandalMotors was the biggest and most powerful corporation on the planet, the support of its CEO and clan leader was vital for our success. Yomaget and the half a dozen other clan leaders in here with us represented a big enough power block to give me more than a reasonable shot at becoming Mandalore.

Horus smiled when we approached. "Congratulations! May you face worthy enemies and raise honorable warriors!"

"Thank you." I gave him a respectful bow. "May you Clan prosper..."

"And forever be covered in glory." Bo finished.

"I come bearing gifts." Yomaget waved at his companions.

The one to the right stepped forward and presented the case he was wearing to his Clan Leader. Yomaget picked it up and opened the container with a flourish.

"A matching set of beskar vibro-swords for the newly wed!" Horus grinned as he displayed a meter and half long gleaming blade.

Next to me, Bo gasped. Given the fact that most known beskar mines were depleted and the rest had considerably lower output than in the past, this gift was wort king's ransom.

"This is a truly generous gift. Thank you very much." I gave the man a half-bow, with Bo following suit.

"Clan Leader Yomaget, you and you Clan's crafters have my heartfelt thanks for this gift." My wife added.

At that moment we heard a quiet commotion from behind and turned to see what was up. Obi-Wan and Satine were walking towards us, hand in hand.

"So Kenobi didn't run away from my Sister." Bo sighed.

"A double wedding?" Horus asked from my right.

"It was a close call, but the Duchess managed to persuade Obi-Wan that she's more important than his Jedi hang ups."

"Is he the reason she's been more reasonable as of late?" Yomaget asked.

I glanced at Bo, who smiled. "He's been good for her. Who could have imagined it? It took a Jedi of all people to make her act as proper Mandalorian."

Meanwhile I looked over the crowd. Everyone invited was here.

"Let's give them our congratulations, then I have something special planned for everyone." I stated.

"Does it have something to do with that hangar you've had off limits since yesterday?" Bo asked.

"Yep. I hope you didn't spoil the surprise."

"Nope. Let's go. It will be interesting to see if you know me as well as you think you do."

"I think you'll be pleasantly surprised, wife."

"Bold claim, husband of mine."

We reached the other couple while they were exchanging pleasantries with Clan Leader Maxine Auwad and her husband – Thang. Their Clan had risen to prominence during the New Sith Wars and helped Mandalore recover as a powerhouse in that period. While they had lost a lot of power since then, the Clan was still an influential one. The fact that Maxine was CEO to the biggest weapon manufacturing consortium in Mandalorian space after MandalMotors was even more important.

"Sister, congratulations for finally bagging your Jedi. May you two raise powerful warriors." Bo beamed at Satine. "And may you become a proper Mandalorian." She smirked at Kenobi, who looked uncomfortable at her words.

"Obi-Wan, how does it feel being a Mandalorian Clan leader in your right?" I needled him.

Before Satine can plant her elbow in his ribs, Kenobi smiled and nodded. "Actually surprisingly good."

"I have the nagging feeling that the Jedi Council will blame me for corrupting you." I smirked.

"No doubt." The Jedi Master winced at the thought.

"Now that all the pleasantries are out of the way," I spoke aloud, using the Force to boost my voice, "I have an announcement to make. "First thank you all for being here!" All but Skirata and Satine's Ministers were here as a sing of support for my bid to become a Mandalore. "I want to bring two items to your attention. First, a tradition from my homeworld – It's customary for the groom to present his bride a gift on their wedding day. For that and the second item, I would like you to follow us to one of the palace's hangars. Second – I made certain promises to the Clan Leaders present and it's time to deliver."

"This better be good." Bo smiled mischievously.

"You'll love it."

**=RK=**

* * *

**Private hangar**

**Royal Palace**

**Sundari**

**Mandalore**

We were all assembled in the dark hangar bay, when I used the Force to switch on the lights. I grinned when I fell Bo freeze in surprise. She did nothing to try and conceal her shock and stunned disbelief at the sight gracing us.

Two three meter tall war-machines were resting in the center of the hangar. One was painted black and had my sigil on its chest. However, my wife's attention was on the other – it's twin which bore her Clan's emblem and colors.

The machines resembled a mechanical hybrid between Zalorian rock-lion and Karran beetle. The six limbed war-droids rested on front pals, complete with razor sharp metal claws. The rear half of the machines had a distinct insectoid shape – four rear legs and carapace like armor.

On the back, where the customary control saddle used to be, we could see open armored shells of cockpits.

Needless to say, the Basilisk were bristling with weapons – laser canons, missile pods, point defense clusters, the improved shock-wavegenerator rods that formed their faces and a pair of modified pulse cannons.

"Mine?" Bo eventually asked. Through the Force she felt like a little girl who was told that Christmas came early this year.

"Yours. Go ahead." I smiled.

Bo's first step was wary, then she shook herself up and walked nonchalantly to her droid.

"Pilot?" The machine inquired.

Bo glanced my way and I nodded.

"Yes." She spoke aloud.

"Scanning." A sensor pod lit up, illuminating my wife with a beam of blue light. "Scan complete. Pilot biometrics locket. Please enter the cockpit for DNA scan and imprint."

At this, Bo hastily scrambled up the Basilik and got into the command module, which sealed behind her.

"Two brand new Basilik droids – I think they're an ample demonstration that I know what I'm talking about. These particular designs were upgraded with modern weapons and electronics, new shields too. As you can see, they have a cockpit for additional protection of the user, though it's not AT weapon proof once the shield is down." I pointed at the transport in the back of the hangar. "There are two sample Basilisk for MandalMotors and one for the Consortium." I nodded at Yomaget and Auwad. "There are also sample of personal shields, as well as the new armors and small arms issued to the GAR along with some capital ships schematics."

"That's more than enough." Horus muttered after a few moments of stunned silence.

Unless I got my modern history horribly wrong, the last time a Basiliks had walked on Mandalore had been shortly after the Great war I took part in thousands of years ago.

As if reading my thoughts, Bo's war-droid let out a mechanical roar and took a step forward. A moment later, her delighted laughter could be heard over its loudspeakers.

I grinned as I felt my wife's delight and happiness through the Force. I let her play with her new pet and turned my attention to Skirata, who had a thoughtful expression on his face.

Then my comm started beeping in alarm and I growled. Of course something had to just go wrong tonight. I raised my arm and switched the unit on. "General Veil." My answer wasn't a grow. I think.

"Veil. I need help." Kole Ordo's pained groan came from the other side.


End file.
